[ [ [] * y for y in range(3) ] * x for x in range(2) ]

[Terry Reedy]

"David Eppstein" <eppstein at ics.uci.edu> wrote in message
news:eppstein-96744E.22015129012003 at news.service.uci.edu...
> What's wrong with [[[]]*3]*2  ?

For the inner list, [[]]*3 is the same as [[] for y in range(3)].  For
the outer list, a second 'multiplication', as you must have just
forgotten, is a common newbie mistake leading to multiple references
to the *same* inner list and surprises like the following:

>>> a=[[[]]*3]*2
>>> a[0][0]=2
>>> a
[[2, [], []], [2, [], []]]

To have independent inner lists, each must be created separately.
>>> a = [[[]]*3,[[]]*3]
>>> a[0][0]=[2]
>>> a
[[[2], [], []], [[], [], []]]

More generally:
a = [[[]]*m for x in range(n)] # n rows of m empty lists.

Terry J. Reedy