List of redundant expressions
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is an alphabetically-organized list of some English language phrases which may repeat an idea, or use words which could be grammatically left out without changing the meaning. (See the article on pleonasm for a more in-depth discussion of rhetorical redundancy.)
Although redundancy is a bugbear for the punctilious, the use of such expressions can be stylistically valid. Some may be integral to particular dialects or idioms, and each must be assessed in context — linguistic and social — by the standards one applies to that context.
A possibly redundant portion of each example expression in the list below is indicated by striking-through portions of the example (as in "this phrase is redundantly redundant"). In many of the expressions below, this is done in an arbitrary fashion (for example "estimated at about 1000", from which either "estimated at" or "about" could reasonably be removed).
Many of these expressions are not universally agreed to be redundant (some have clarifying usage notes expressing this in more detail). Their redundancy can be tenuous, specific to a particular context, or dependent on the assumption of background knowledge. The expressions are not necessarily noteworthy in any way other than their alleged redundancy. The list does not count simple repetition for emphasis, as in "I'm very, very hungry", nor linguistic 'exact reduplication', as in "it's time to say bye-bye", as examples of redundant phrases. The rhyming and ablaut forms of reduplication (e.g. "razzle-dazzle" or "tip-top", respectively) might be listed if they have a shorter, equivalent, non-redundant form and are not simply repetition to emphasize the point (as in "teeny-tiny").
Contents |
[edit] List of possibly redundant expressions
[edit] #
- {number} different/differing: "You ask Congressmen Tom Reynolds and Brian Higgins those questions and you get two
differentanswers." — Scott Brown, "Two Congressmen, TwoDifferentViews on Iraq", Gannett Newswire, Mar. 20, 2006. (See also "number of different", below.) - {number} separate: "This Committee met on twelve
separateoccasions during the last fiscal year." — Cisco Systems, "2000 Proxy Statement and Annual Report" (see also "numerous/various/etc. different/separate/etc.", below - 12 [o'clock] noon/midnight: "As of
12noon tomorrow / Say goodbye to the world / As you know it". — The Plasmatics, "12 Noon", Metal Priestess, Stiff America Records, 1981
[edit] A
- a.m. in the morning: "At 3:30 a.m.
in the morningon, I guess, it was the day after the election, he was sitting upstairs, and I finally said, go to bed." — George W. Bush, "President Holds Press Conference", Office of the Press Secretary, The White House, November 4, 2004 - absolute beginning/end: (see "very/absolute beginning/end", below)
- absolute guarantee: I give you my
absoluteguarantee. (This phrase is not redundant in a context in which guarantees can be conditional, such as a legal context.) - absolutely essential: "For the first half-year a teacher is necessary. After that it is
absolutelyessential to rehearse in front of a mirror." — "What's Most Important" by Sergei Ignatov, Juggler's World, Vol. 42, No. 4 - absolutely sure: There's no way to be
absolutelysure. - actual experience: Have you had
actualexperience at welding? (This may not be redundant when distinguishing from virtual experience, as in training.) - add an additional/a further/etc.: "The plan could add
an additional3.6 cents per gallon to the cost of gasoline..." — Eric Pfeiffer, "Almost as Reliable as Kissing Babies", National Review, May 25, 2005 (This wouldn't be redundant if said after a previous addition. E.G. "We added five gallons of water to the mix. Later, we added an additional two gallons.") - added bonus/addition/etc.: "I would like at the very end to give you the schedule of the President for the upcoming week and, as an extra
addedbonus, I'll go a tiny bit even into the week following that." — Ari Fleischer, "Press Briefing by Ari Fleischer", Office of the Press Secretary, The White House, February 9, 2001 - advance warning / planning / reservations: "Reliable
advancewarning of the attacks could only have come from human sources, the [Joint Intelligence Committee] report says." — "9/11 Panel Blasts CIA, FBI's Lapses in Coming Report" by K. Johnson, T. Locy & K. Kiely, USA Today, July 22, 2003 (This would not be redundant if it distinguished between warning / planning / reservation done significantly before the event and immediate and/or last-minute warning / planning / reservation) - all of: All
ofthe children go to school. - alongside: We walked along
sidethe pier. (Proper usage of "alongside" is not redundant, as in "the dinghy pulled up alongside the Coast Guard ship".) - alongside of: He was buried alongside
ofhis dog. - and...moreover / what's more / additionally: I know nothing and I don't want to know,
what's more. - and moreover/what's more/additionally/plus: I know nothing and
plusI don't want to know. (Some would not consider the "and moreover" or "and what's more" variants, in this closely juxtaposed type of construction, to be redundant, but rather a form of stress.) - are/is currently: They are
currentlyplaying off-Broadway. (Not redundant if the change was very recent and perhaps unknown to the audience; otherwise the bare use of "are", "is", etc., might sound like a disagreement with known [former] fact, where no such disagreement actually existed.) - as for example: Colors can have exotic names,
asfor example "seafoam." - as to whether: I'm inquiring
as towhether the bus has arrived. - ask a question: If you need information, don't hesitate to ask
a question. (Not redundant if what would be asked for — assistance, cookies, etc. — is not obvious.) - ask for help/assistance/etc.: If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask
for help.(See preceding entry's note.) - assemble together: (see "join together", below)
- at a later date: That will happen
at alaterdate. (Not redundant if distinguishing later today from later another day.) - at the present time: At
thepresenttimewe have no openings. - at this point in time: At this point
in time, it is unclear what has happened. - autumn season: The leaves turn red and gold in
theautumnseason.
[edit] B
- baby boy/girl was born: Our
babyboy was born at 2 a.m. (Not redundant if you have two children of the same sex and one is not an infant) - bald-headed: Patrick Stewart takes being bald
-headedin stride. - bare naked: The old man ran
barenaked through the streets. - basic fundamentals: "Although Harvard is widely noted for its efforts to teach the
basicfundamentals of science, it has also begun to emphasize advanced research at the expense of the basics." — Christopher J. Georges, Back To Basics: Taking Note, The Harvard Crimson, March 6, 1985 - blend together: Their voices blend
togetherin lovely harmony. - Bo Staff: I've trained for years to master the bo
staff. - bouquet of flowers: "It was one of those unforgettable scenes of the Salt Lake Games: a gold medal swinging from her neck, a bouquet
of flowershoisted in her right hand, a teammate at her side and tears of joy streaming down her face." — "With New Driver, Flowers Hopes to Recreate Salt Lake Magic", The Washington Post, February 20, 2006. Note: When dealing with flowers of a specific type (for example, roses) or non-floral items (for example, balloons), the items gathered into the bouquet may be mentioned without fear of redundancy, since the primary meaning of bouquet only assumes flowers in general.[1][2] - brief cameo: "Before the final word - 'farewell' - rang out, there had been
briefcameo appearances by cabinet ministers, celebrities, foreign envoys." Marlise Simons, "Don Quixote, at 400, Reflects the Spanish Soul of Today", The New York Times, May 2, 2004 - burn up: At this rate, we'll burn
upthe fuel in a month. (Not always redundant; "the meteorite burned brightly as it entered the atmosphere" and "the meteorite burned up brightly in the atmosphere" have different meanings; the latter indicates that it was destroyed. Compare "burn up" with "burn down", which is generally not redundant, since it indicates destruction as opposed to simply some fire damage.) - but...however / nevertheless: I really want to, but I can't
however. - but however / nevertheless: I shouldn't have, but
neverthelessI did. (If "but" rather than "nevertheless" were removed in this example, it would need a semicolon, not a comma.)
[edit] C
- cancel out: A vote for Tweedle Dee will cancel
outa vote for Tweedle Dum. - chai tea: Let's order some chai
teaafter our meal. - chief/main protagonist: "The story's
chiefprotagonist, Niggle, had spent his life trying to paint a landscape..." —Joseph Pearce, "Grading Jackson: Would Tolkien have given Peter Jackson’s movie a thumbs-up?", National Review, December 17, 2003 (May not be redundant if a work of fiction has several protagonists, one among them more central to the plot than the others.) - climb up: We watched the bear climb
upthe tree. (If the default upward direction does not apply, specifying direction is not redundant, e.g. "climb across the rock face", "climb down the stairs", etc. Cf. its mirror images, "descend down" and "fall down", below.) - close proximity: The torpedo explodes when in
closeproximity to the hull. - close scrutiny: "Their manifesto yesterday received the same
closescrutiny as the other two big parties — and it was an uncomfortable experience." — Peter Riddell, "Sleepy-eyed Kennedy slips up over his manifesto tax pledge", The Times, April 15, 2005 - collaborate together: We decided to collaborate
togetheron that book. - combine together: The ingredients combine
togetherto form gunpowder. - comfortable with {verb}: I'm not comfortable
withdancing with strangers. - common bond: They formed a
commonbond against the British. - commute back and forth: "She will commute
back-and-forthbetween New Haven and her home in Southern California before relocating to the Elm City this summer." — Marcus McLin, Gobrecht to lead women's hoops, Yale Daily News, April 12, 2005 - complete monopoly: With that merger, they had a
completemonopoly. - completely destroyed: The town hall was
completelydestroyed. (Not necessarily redundant: it is possible for something to be 'partly destroyed'.) - completely filled: By ten, the house was
completelyfilled. (Not necessarily redundant, for the same reason as above.) - comprises of: A soccer team comprises
of11 players. - confer/congregate together: (see "join together", below)
- consensus of opinion: "Wim Duisenberg, the ECB's Dutch president, is seen as a leader who seeks to fashion a consensus
of opinionon the council rather than imposing his own views, as some chairmen of the US Federal Reserve have done." — Tony Barber, "Impartial voice keen to retain its independence", The Financial Times, January 12 2001 - consult with: I have consulted
withmy lawyers. - continue on: I hope to continue
onin the family business. - continue to remain: We
continue toremain optimistic. - cost the sum of: The repairs cost
the sum of$1100. - crouch down: (see "kneel/knelt down", below)
- currently {verb or verbal phrase}: You're
currentlybeing considered for the position, but I'm being laid off because the golf course iscurrentlyundergoing renovation.
[edit] D
- dates back: That pot dates
backto the time of Columbus. - days of {timespan}: (see "hours of {timespan}", below)
- definite decision: By Friday, I had made a
definitedecision. - déjà vu [all over] again: "It's like déjà vu
all over again." — Yogi Berra, in reference to home runs by Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle (source). (This is actually a Yogiism, one among a great many humorously redundant and sometimes oxymoronic constructions of this sort, generally intentional. See also Farberisms.) - descend down: "The Pentagon aides and journalists descend
downthe back stairs of the plane as is customary while Rumsfeld comes down the main stairs to meet his welcome party." — Demetri Sevastopulo, "On tour with Rumsfeld", The Financial Times, February 10, 2006 (Cf. "fall down", below, and their mirror image, "climb up", above,) - different kinds: There were twelve
differentkinds of ice cream. - difficult dilemma: "Sharon's government faces a
difficultdilemma that could have far-reaching implications — what price should Israel pay to negotiate the return of her kidnapped and MIA soldiers?" — Asaf Romirowsky, "Where Is Ron Arad?", National Review, March 17, 2004 - direct confrontation: We tried to avoid
directconfrontation. - distance of {distance}: The fire closed to
a distance offifty feet. - dive down: I hope that bird doesn't dive
downat my head again. - downward: The skydiver hurtled down
wardlike a stone. (not redundant if used as an adjective) - drop down: Drop
downand give me fifty, soldier! - during the course of: He never smiled during
the course ofthe trial. - dwindled down: By then, the fire had dwindled
downto nothing. - dynamic range: The camera could not record the
dynamicrange of illumination. ("Dynamic range" is also a non-redundant technical term among audiophiles. Its use here is more mistaken than redundant.)
[edit] E
- each and every: God bless each
and everyone of you. - earlier in time: The Beatles were popular earlier
in timethan the Rolling Stones. - either and/or both: "Either
and/or both of these reports (depending on the number of class hours missed) must be submitted within seven days of the absence." — Division of Nursing: NURS 4321 Professional Nursing with Groups/Populations, Summer 2006 Course Syllabus, West Texas A&M University, retrieved 10 July 2006 - empty space: There's nothing but
emptyspace between those ears. - end result: The
endresult was inflation. - enter into: Bacteria can enter
intoa wound. - equal to one another: Before the law, we are equal
to one another. - equally as: "The adverb equally is generally regarded as redundant when used in combination with as. In an earlier survey, 63 percent of the Usage Panel found the following examples unacceptably redundant: Experience is
equallyas valuable as theory. Equallyasimportant is the desire to learn. To eliminate the redundancy, equally should be deleted from the first example and as from the second. The solution to this usage problem usually involves using as alone when a comparison is explicit and equally alone when it is not." — "Equal: Usage note", The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, July 12, 2006 - eradicate completely: We won't rest until we eradicate them
completely. - established fact: Bigfoot is a
n establishedfact. - estimated at about/around/approximately: Casualties are estimated at
about1000. - every now and then:
Everynow and then the faucet drips. - exact opposites: They are twins, but
exactopposites. - exactly right/correct/etc.: That's
exactlythe right advice. - exact[ly the] same/identical/etc.: No two fingerprints are
exactlythe same. - extra bonus/addition/etc.: "I would like at the very end to give you the schedule of the President for the upcoming week and, as an extra
added bonus, I'll go a tiny bit even into the week following that." — Ari Fleischer, "Press Briefing by Ari Fleischer", Office of the Press Secretary, The White House, February 9, 2001
[edit] F
- face up to: You should face
up tothe facts. - fall down: If you trip, you might fall
down. (But "down" is needed in "Fall down the stairs." Cf. "descend down", and their mirror image, "climb up", above,) - fall season: The leaves turn red and gold in
thefallseason. - false pretenses: He's here under
falsepretenses. (Many would not consider this redundant, since "false" in this usage means "bearing ill will" or "dishonest", not "untrue", so the fact that pretend things aren't real is of no relevance.) - feel inside: Nobody knows how I feel
inside. (Unless one is distinguishing between feeling emotions and feeling with one's skin.) (Compare inner feelings below.) - fellow classmates/co-workers/comrades/etc.: I'd enjoy a reunion with my
fellowclassmates. - few in number: They were few
in number, but mighty. - filled to capacity: The stadium was filled
to capacity. - first began: We were alive when the century
firstbegan. - first and foremost; first of all: Idiomatic. "first and foremost. Also, first of all. Most important, primarily; also, to begin with. For example, First and foremost, I want to thank our sponsors, or What we need, first and foremost, is a new secretary, or We have to deal, first of all, with the early history. The first term, dating from the late 1300s, is redundant, since first and foremost mean virtually the same thing. Both it and the variant, which dates from the mid-1500s, are used to give emphasis to the initial item in a list of several." — Christine Ammer, "First and foremost", The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms, July 12, 2006.
- first time ever: We have a pig in space for the first time
ever. - fit enough: whether they are fit
enoughfor labor. (Fitness is not an absolute in some contexts and therefore this expression is not necessarily redundant). - focus in: I'm trying to focus
inon that sound. - follow after: He decided to follow
afterher to California. - foreign imports: "The rise in
foreignimports, the argument goes, is forcing some Americans to accept lower pay to remain competitive with, say, Mexican and Chinese workers." — "Survey: Pay – Winners and losers", The Economist, May 6, 1999 - forever and ever: It's you and me, forever
and ever. - forward planning:
Forwardplanning puts the mind at ease. - free gift: Receive a
freegift with every purchase. - free pass: I won a
freepass to the movies. (There could, however, be a kind of pass that is not free, but the expression is redundant if the pass is won at no cost). - future plans: We discussed our
futureplans long into the night. (Unless one is distinguishing between already attempted or in-progress plans, on the one hand, and those not yet attempted, on the other.)
[edit] G
- gather together: The family would gather
togetherevery year. - gather up: I gathered
upall the MP3 files on my hard drive into one folder. (In highly descriptive prose, especially of a character's physical movements, this may not be redundant - the phrase implies "gathering and picking up" rather than simply gathering, e.g. on the ground. In the example provided here it is redundant because it was used in a context where there is no such physical action or metaphoric analogue.) - general conclusion/custom/pattern/etc.: My
generalconclusion is that thegeneralcustom is to shake with the right hand. (Not redundant if one is trying to highlight the fact that there are exceptions to the conclusions.) - general public: We don't sell to the
generalpublic. - genetic clone/mutant: "The suckers, or sprouting corms, [of the banana] are
geneticclones of the parent plant." — "Building A Better Banana" by Craig Canine, Smithsonian Magazine, October 2005 - get up on one's feet: The assembly watched as he got up
on his feet. - glowing ember: We watched until the last
glowingember faded. - golden wedding anniversary: They celebrated their golden
weddinganniversary. (Unless to distinguish from other kinds of anniversaries.) - got: see have/has got below.
[edit] H
- had done previously: We tore down everything we had done
previously. - hard facts: The detective was looking for the
hardfacts. (Many would say this is not redundant, but simply evocative, since the meaning of "hard" and "fact" do not overlap in any clear way. It is certainly a tired cliché that no longer evokes much of anything, however.) - have/has got: "You've got mail." Proper usage would be "You have mail". (Not redundant when distinguishing between possession on one's person from ownership, or is indicative of having performed an action as opposed to being in present possession; contrast "I got our lunch an hour ago, and I've got $2 left" with "I've got our lunch in my hand, and by the way I have $47,000 saved".)
- he himself: (See "I myself", below)
- heat up: She decided to heat
upwater for coffee. - high noon: We're leaving at
highnoon. (However, "high noon" can mean when the sun crosses the local meridian, as opposed to noon on local clocks). - high time: It's
hightime I got some sleep. - honest truth: That's the
honesttruth of the matter. - hot water heater: We had to install a new
hotwater heater. - hours of {timespan}: The store is open between
the hours of8 AM and 5 PM.
[edit] I
- I[...]personally: I was there
, personally. - I myself; you yourself/yourselves; he himself; she herself; we ourselves; they themselves: "I myself was certain of the facts." — "Myself", The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition (online), 12 July 2006. (This use of an intensive pronoun, while indeed redundant, uses the redundancy for emphasis, and some consider it standard English.)
- indicted on a charge of: He was indicted on
a charge ofmanslaughter. - in actual fact: In
actualfact, I walked there. - inner core: Who are you, in your
innercore? - inner feelings: You must get in touch with your
innerfeelings. (May not be redundant if the advisor is distinguishing between the conscious and subconscious.) (Compare feel inside above.) - in order to: We opened the door
in orderto enter. - integral part of: He is a
n integralpart of our success. (If "integral" is meant to be stressed, one can use "he was integral to our success" instead.) - interconnected: A society has millions of people, all
interconnected. (Not always redundant; for example, the Internet is "interconnected" because the machines in it can (mostly) communicate with each other; but a more linear top-down network would simply consist of machines that were "connected"). - interweave/interwoven: Fabric usually consists of many
interwoven threads. (Not redundant when used figuratively.) - introduced a new: We introduced a
newproduct to the line. - introduced for the first time: We were introduced
for the first timea week ago. - inward: The lion moved in
wardfor the kill. (In many other constructions, "inward" is not redundant, e.g. "the inward movement of the troops toward the capital city was inexorable.") - inward into: We went
inwardinto the nightclub. - irregardless: She loved him
irregardless. - is currently: (see "are currently", above)
[edit] J
- join/assemble/meet/etc. together: We'll join these boards
togetherwith glue. - join up: (see "meet/join up", below)
- just exactly/precisely/barely etc.: I have
justexactly the right amount of money. (Not redundant where "just" means "barely" itself, as in "I have just enough to get by"; but clearly redundant when the modified adjective precludes any variation, e.g. "exactly", or already includes the "barely" concept.) - just recently: We met
justrecently. (Some would say this is not redundant and that "just" is synonymous with "very" in this context.) - just[...]the other/last/etc. day/week/etc.: We just met in person
the other day, after corresponding online a lotjustlast month." (The first form is often not redundant, especially when "just" by itself is too vague to be helpful in the context; e.g., does "I just saw her" mean 5 minutes ago or 3 days ago?) It is redundant when the exact time is of no relevance, or is known.)
[edit] K
- kill[...]dead: "I killed that varmint
dead!" - kneel/knelt down: The king had all kneel
downbefore him. - koala bear: The koala
bearis native to Australia. - kudzu vine: The southern USA is blanketed with kudzu
vine".
[edit] L
- last of all: And last
of all, we have no flour left. - left behind: Was your hat left
behindat the restaurant? - left-hand: Take a left
-handturn at the next light. - leftward: Turn left
warddown that street. - lift up: She lifted
upher dress to avoid the mud. - linger on: The scent of her perfume would linger
on. - little bit/smidgin/pinch, etc.: (see "tiny", below)
- local residents: He was among the
localresidents of Hogwaller. - located in/on/at/etc.: Burnaby is a city
locatedin British Columbia. - look back in hindsight/retrospect: "And
looking backin hindsight, we believe members of Congress should have been briefed on it sooner." — Scott McClellan, "Press Briefing by Scott McClellan", Office of the Press Secretary, The White House, February 22, 2006 - lose out on: I don't want to lose
out onmy chance to go. - lots of different: (see "bunch of different", above)
[edit] M
- main focus: Redundancies are the
mainfocus of my essay. (Something can only have one focus; if it seems to have two or more it may have multiple subjects, but cannot have multiple focuses, by definition.) - main protagonist: (See "chief/main protagonist", above)
- major breakthrough: It was a
majorbreakthrough in genetic research. - many different: There were many
differentpeople at the party. - mass media: The
massmedia thrive on scandal. (Not redundant in a context where alternative media outlets are being contrasted with the major players.) - may possibly: That may
possiblybe the greatest blunder of all. - meet together: (see "join together", above)
- meet/join up: Let's meet
upafter lunch to discuss the proposal - mental telepathy: Do cats really use
mentaltelepathy? - merged together: Acme and Fuddco would prosper if merged
together. - meshed together: The fabric is gold and silk meshed
together. - midnight hour: I'll kiss you at
themidnighthour. - midway between: On the highway from Heaven to Hell, Life is about midway
between. - might possibly: We might
possiblyattend the party. - miss out on: I don't want to miss
out onmy chance to go. - mix together: Mix the ingredients
togetheruntil the batter is smooth. - mutual cooperation: Competition can be less beneficial than
mutualcooperation. (This phrase is frequently not redundant, since cooperation can be given or demanded by one party but not another.) - mutually dependent on each other: "Well, they're mutually dependent
on each other." — Lawrence Wright, "The Second Man", The New Yorker, September 16, 2002 - my personal opinion: In my
personalopinion, caviar tastes horrible.
[edit] N
- native habitat: This plant is found throughout the animal's
nativehabitat. (This is not a redundant usage if the being in question has been imported info an area that was not its original habitat, e.g. cane toads in Australia or eucalyptus trees in California.) - natural instinct: Approaching humans is not
naturallyinstinctive behavior for bears. - never at any time: I was never
at any timewith that woman. - never before: No, we've never met
before. - new beginning: 1776 marked a
newbeginning. - new bride: He went to the Catskills with his
newbride. - new construction: We slowed for the
newhighway construction. - new record: He set a
newrecord in the pole vault. - new recruit: Bloody was a
newrecruit for the biker gang. (Some would disagree; an Army master sergeant of 16 years is still a recruit, just not a recent one.) - no trespassing/fishing/etc. allowed/permitted: The sign plainly says: No trespassing
allowed. - none at all: There's no money left, none
at all. (Actually the entire phrase is redundant here!) - noon hour: Luncheon is served promptly at
thenoonhour. (Not redundant if referencing the hour between noon and 13:00.) - now pending: The case is
nowpending before the Fifth Circuit Court. - null and void: Breaking the seal made the warranty
null andvoid. (In strict legal terms there is a difference, but if you aren't a lawyer writing in a context where this is relevant "void" will suffice in most cases.) - number of different: A number of
differentviews were represented in the debate. - numerous/various/etc. different/separate/etc.: There were numerous
differentnew theories advanced at the conference. (See also "{number} different", above.)
[edit] O
- off in the distance: I can see a car coming
offin the distance. - off of: Please keep the cat off
ofthe couch. (Cf. its mirror image, "onto", below) - officiated at the ceremony: Mayor Perkins officiated
at the ceremony. - old adage/cliché/proverb: There is an
oldadage for every occasion. - old pioneer: That was back in the
oldpioneer days, before statehood. - one and the same: Santa and Saint Nick are
one andthe same person. - onto: Put my cat back on
tothe couch, since I own that too. (Cf. its mirror image, "off of", above) - onward: We pushed on
wardinto the jungle. - orbits around: "Be Cool, the lackluster sequel to Get Shorty—both based on titular novels written by Elmore Leonard—orbits
aroundthe galaxy of popular stars clustered by production company MGM." — Susan E. McGregor, Kristina M. Moore, and Scoop A. Wasserstein, Movie Review: Be Cool, The Harvard Crimson, March 18, 2005 - or alternatively: We can either do this now or
alternativelyleave it for tomorrow. - originally created/discovered/etc.: Man was
originallycreated in God's image, without tattoos. - outward: She went out
wardinto the night. (In many other constructions, "outward" is not redundant, e.g. "the outward flow of heat from the body is responsible for hypothermia.") - over and over again: He said it over and over
again. ("over and over" itself is redundant and can be replaced with "repeatedly".) - over and done with: Let's get it
over anddonewith. - over exaggerate: He tends to
overexaggerate his accomplishments. - over with: Can't we just get this over
with?
[edit] P
- pair of twins: He's the proud father of
a pair oftwins. - passing fad: Computers are just a
passingfad. - past experience: We know from
pastexperience that weakness breeds contempt. - past memories: I have no
pastmemories of that event. - peace and quiet: "Let's have some
peace andquiet while I am writing." (Technically, this is even more redundant than it seems, as "quiet" in this usage means not "silence" but "peacefulness". [source] Some would consider this simply an idiomatic case of emphasis rather than a redundancy, while yet others would say it is neither, today, but simply a cliché because most of us do not otherwise use "quiet" in this way any longer.) - past record[s]/history/etc.: We'll have to check our
pastrecords to confirm that. (Cf. "prior record/history/etc." below, in which "record" is a mass noun not a count noun.) - penetrate into: We decided to penetrate
intoenemy territory. - perfect ideal: Donald Duck is not the
perfectideal of manhood. - period of {timespan} : The disease incubates for
a period often days. - period of time: Horses were absent throughout that period
of time. - permeate [all] through[out]: The smell in your shoes has permeated
all throughoutour home. - personal belongings: Please check your search for any
personalbelongings you may have left behind. - personal charm: You'll need more than
personalcharm to succeed. - personal friendship: I truly value our
personalfriendship. - personal opinion: In my
personalopinion, canaries are quite tasty. - pitch black: It was
pitchblack in the belly of the fish. (Some would say this is not a redundancy, but rather a florid description that has become a cliché now that most people no longer know what pitch is. In many contexts black is actually a multitude of subtle shades; cf. any closet full of "black" clothing.) - pizza pie: I could really go for a fresh Chicago-style pizza
pie. - plan ahead: Failure to plan
aheadis risky. - p.m. in the evening/in the afternoon/at night: We returned at 2
p.m.in the afternoon. - point in time: At this point
in time, it is unclear what has happened. - postpone/put off, until later: Without knowing how to proceed we'll have to postpone this
until later. - precise/precisely [the] same/identical/etc.: (see "exact[ly the] same/identical/etc.", above)
- preplan: If you
preplan your funeral, it won't come as such a surprise. - prerecorded: The following is a
prerecorded program. - present incumbent: The
presentincumbent will likely be re-elected. - prior record/history/etc.: He had a
priorhistory of burglary arrests. (Common language in legal and medical professions. The phrase clarifies diagnoses, arrests, etc, made previous to the case being referred to. Not redundant in some past-tense constructions. Cf. "past record[s]/history/etc." above, in which "record" is a count noun not a mass noun.) - probed into: The committee probed
intothe causes of the crash. - proceed ahead: I vote that we proceed
aheadwith our plans. - protest against: The group assembled to protest
againsthigh prices. - protrude out: Why do your eyes protrude
outlike that?
[edit] R
- raise up: It's a great place to raise
upyour kids. - random chance: Winning at roulette is a matter of
randomchance. - rate of speed: At that
rate ofspeed, they'll lose the regatta. - razzle-dazzle: Cirque du Soleil shows are characterized by a lot of
razzle-dazzle. - recur again: Her fever would recur
againat regular intervals. - Redundancy Society of Redundancy
- reflect back: Perhaps you should reflect
backon why you joined the army. - repeat again: I wouldn't care to repeat that
again. - reply back: I'll expect your reply
backwithin a day. - revert back: Any moment he'll revert
backto his old ways. - rightward: Turn right
ward, down that street. - right over: Put it
rightover here. (Not redundant when used to indicate time, as in "Be patient, I'll be right over.") - right now: I don't feel like going to a movie
rightnow. (Not redundant when used for stress, as in "Clean your room RIGHT NOW!") - right-hand: Take a right
-handturn at the next light. (it could, however, be argued that the right [ie correct] side is not the righthand side in some situations, eg driving in the United Kingdom) - rightward: Turn right
ward, down that street. - rise to one's feet: He rose
to his feetand addressed the assembly. - rise up: Rise
up, my fellow Americans, and demand a vote re-count. - rough estimate/approximation/guess/etc.: I only need an
roughestimate of the costs. (May not be redundant, in a context where estimates are usually more detailed or accurate and/or more time-consuming than the speaker desires now.) - rough rule of thumb: "A
roughrule of thumb is that your knees and elbows should form right angles." — "Preventing RSI", Harvard RSI Action, referenced July 10, 2006 - rustic country: She loved her rustic
countrykitchen. - safe haven: They ran for the forest, searching for a
safehaven.
[edit] S
- same identical: The wore the
sameidentical dress. (Cf. "exact[ly the] same/identical/etc.", above) - seek out/to find: I seek
to findtruth, while you just seekoutentertainment. - separate[...]out: Always separate the whites
outfrom the colors when doing laundry. - separate entities: You're married, but we are still separate
entities. - share together: I'm glad we could share this time
together. - short summary: To provide a
shortsummary of the book. - shrug one's shoulders: He shrugged
his shoulders. - sink down: The ship sank
downto bottom of the lake. - situated in, situated on, situated at, etc.: Qualicum Beach is a town
situatedin British Columbia. - skipped over: The disease skipped
overa generation. - so as to: Mother called him Junior,
so asto avoid confusion when addressing his father. - soaked to the skin: Tom and Huck were soaked
to the skin. (Contrast with "chilled to the bone", which while florid and equally cliché conveys a different meaning than just "chilled", except when used metaphorically in reference to fear, in which case it IS redundant.) - some time to come: We'll eat beans for some time
to come. - so therefore: We had very little time;
sotherefore or sotherefore, we had to make up our minds quickly. - specific details: We will supply
specificdetails by mail. ("More specific details" is not redundant in the context prior details being given.) - spell out in detail: I was guilty, and decided to spell it out
in detail. - spring season: When
thespringseasonarrives, I think about boys a lot. - stacked together: There they were, stacked
togetherlike cordwood. - stand up on one's feet: The assembly watched as he stood up
on his feet. - stand [up] on one's own [two] feet: Getting her first job made her feel that she could finally stand
upon her owntwo feet. - start out: Well, I didn't start
outas a hoodlum. - start off with: The Yanks started
offwith Berra. - still persists / remains / lingers / etc.: Even after all these setbacks, she
stillpersists. - subject matter: That subject
matterisn't fit for children. (This is not always redundant; the subject of sexuality may be appropriate for children when their parents talk with them cautiously and educationally about it; most of the same parents would say that sexual subject matter - i.e. publications, photos, etc. - remained inappropriate. If one is not making this distinction, then the usage is indeed redundant.) - sufficient enough: That should be sufficient
enoughreason for you to quit. - summer season: During the cold I look forward to
thesummerseason. - swoop down: The wind whistles in their wings when they swoop
down.
[edit] T
- talking out loud: We'll have no talking
out loudin this library. - temporary reprieve: The storm was a
temporaryreprieve from the heat. - therapeutic treatment: My swelled knee required special
therapeutictreatment. - these ones: "Please take these
onesfrom my lap." [3] - they themselves: (See "I myself", above)
- thorough investigation: You will do a very
thoroughinvestigation, won't you? (Not redundant in the context of there having been a previous, shoddy investigation.) - those ones: "Please hand me those
onesfrom the table over there." [4] - time clock: "Like most people who earn $1,000,000 per year, Chadwick doesn't punch a
timeclock and simply pick up a check for 20 grand every week." — Mark Goldblatt, "Supply Side 101: For those (liberals) who love taxes", The National Review, April 17, 2006. Note: While indeed redundant — a clock is a device for telling time — the phrase time clock or time-clock is a specific kind of clock used to record the hours that employees work, usually by punching time-cards,[5][6] as opposed to simply clock, which is the generic time-keeping device. In the above example, the presence of the verb "punch" indicates exactly the device referred to; however, in other circumstances, confusion may result from using the generic clock. Compare "I bought a new clock for the office" with "I bought a new time clock for the office."
- time period: The book doesn't cover that
timeperiod. - tiny/little/etc. bit/smidgin/pinch/etc.: "I would like at the very end to give you the schedule of the President for the upcoming week and, as an extra added bonus, I'll go a
tinybit even into the week following that." — Ari Fleischer, "Press Briefing by Ari Fleischer", Office of the Press Secretary, The White House, February 9, 2001 - tip-top: This car is in
tip-top condition. - together at the same time: Imagine, all the Beagle Boys together
at the same time. - totally destroy: The nuke didn't
totallydestroy the comet, just broke it in two. - true facts: You swear those are the
truefacts? (This is not a redundancy in formal logic, where the term "fact" has a more specialized meaning, and facts can be proven false.) - tuna fish: I had a tuna
fishsandwich. (Note that "tuna" is also a form of edible prickly pear, so this phrase is not always redundant, such as if both were available at the same restaurant.) - twelve midnight: Be home by
twelvemidnight. - twelve noon: Let's have lunch at
twelvenoon sharp.
[edit] U
- unconfirmed rumour: "Something of the same despair which the crowds evinced two weeks ago spread as a
n unconfirmedrumor was circulated that Lindbergh had been forced down." — Edwin L. James, "Crowd Roars Thunderous Welcome: Breaks Through Lines of Soldiers and Police and Surging to Plane Lifts Weary Flier from His Cockpit", The New York Times, May 22, 1927 - undeniable truth: 1 + 1 = 2 is
anundeniabletruth. - undergraduate student: "The OFA announced plans to employ an undergraduate
studentto study black artists and art groups on campus, and to possibly recommend a program of support for black artists." — Daniel P. Mosteller, "OFA Will Hire Student Intern to Assist Black Arts Program", The Harvard Crimson, September 29, 1999. Note: Some consider the "nouning" of adjectives like this aesthetically displeasing, as "corrosive" to language; compare "plastic" which has almost totally lost its original adjectival meaning except among potters & sculptors and in medicine. Also note that graduate student is not redundant, as a graduate is anyone, currently a student or otherwise, who has graduated from an academic program. - underground subway: New York has an extensive
undergroundsubway. (However, as counterintuitive as it may be, railways can still be called subways, though some of the tracks are not underground, but ground level or elevated). - underneath: I keep my shotgun under
neathmy bed. - unexpected surprise: "Yet daybreak brought a
n unexpectedsurprise as Taiwan learnt that word of its major quake had rattled U.S. technology stocks." — Jeffrey Parker (Reuters), "Big But Harmless Taiwan Quake Shakes Markets", The Washington Post, November 2, 1999 - unintentional mistake: That
mistakewas entirely unintentional. - unsolved mystery: "A spate of pavement writing in Oxford remains an unsolved mystery this week, as police attempt to decipher who has been voicing their opinions on the city's streets and why." — Rodrigo Davies, "Pavement messengers remain a mystery", The Oxford Student, July 12, 2006
- up on top [of]: Put the vase
upontop ofthat shelf. - upward: Hot air moves up
ward. - usual custom: Eggnog on Christmas is our
usualcustom.
[edit] V
- variety of different/separate/etc.: (see "numerous/various/etc. different/separate/etc.", above)
- various different/separate/etc.: (see "numerous/various/etc. different/separate/etc.", above)
- very/absolute/etc. beginning/end: "I would like at the
veryend to give you the schedule of the President for the upcoming week and, as an extra added bonus, I'll go a tiny bit even into the week following that." — Ari Fleischer, "Press Briefing by Ari Fleischer", Office of the Press Secretary, The White House, February 9, 2001 - very/somewhat/totally/etc. unique: His recipe for hot chocolate was
veryunique.
[edit] W
- way[, way] far away/too hot/etc.: This movie is
way, waytoo long for my tastes. - we ourselves: (See "I myself", above)
- whether or not: I wonder whether
or notyou're coming. - whole lot/bunch/etc.: There are a
wholelot of leeches on my backside! - winter season:
Thewinterseasonmeans one thing to me: skiing. - written down: I have written
downthe instructions. (Note, however, that "write down" and "write up" have different connotations, so the qualification of "down" or "up" may be necessary in context. To "write down" can mean to copy, while to "write up" suggests creation rather than copying, and can also mean "report transgressions to someone in authority".)
[edit] Y
- years of {timespan}: (see "hours of {timespan}", above)
- yerba maté tea: Let's order some yerba maté
teaafter our meal. - you yourself/yourselves: (See "I myself", above)
- young boy/girl/lad/lass: A
younglad is expert at mischief. (Some would object that these are not actually redundant, because they distinguish pre-pubescents from youths, and even adults in slang.) - young foal/colt/fawn/etc.: There she is, with her
youngfoal.
[edit] Redundant acronym phrases
Most acronymic redundancies result from following the acronym with a word or synonym of a word that the acronym is composed of (this is known jokingly as "RAS syndrome"):
- ABS system: All our cars come installed with an ABS
system. - ACT/etc. test: Many students do not study hard enough for the ACT
test. - ATM (or ABM) machine: I just need to get some money from the ATM
machine. - CSS style sheet: We're now using CSS
style sheetson our website. - GPS system: The government launched new satellites for the GPS
system(Not always redundant; e.g. "Some of the cars are equipped with GPS systems"; the "System" latent in "GPS" refers to the satellite system, while "systems" in this sentence means "consumer devices".) - HIV virus: He is infected with
theHIVvirus. - IRA account: I just opened an IRA
account. (Many would argue that this is not truly rendundant but a disambiguation, because "IRA" has a much more widespread meaning that predates the existence of the U.S. tax shelter, and this other meaning often arouses an immediate strong emotional response.) - LCD display: The computer comes with an LCD
display. - NDP Party: The NDP
Partyis one of Canada's major political parties. - PIN/SIN/SSN/EIN/VIN/etc. number: I forgot my PIN
number. - RAID array: Our new server is configured with a RAID
array. - UPC code: Read the actual number below the UPC
code, please.
Some acronyms contain "hidden" redundancies, which have nothing to do with how the acronyms are used; for example:
- WASP:
WhiteAnglo-Saxon Protestant. - GNU: GNU
's Not Unix(a recursive acronym, in which the redundancy is for humorous effect)
[edit] References
- Individual entries, when a quote is available to source their usage in mainstream language, will be cited in situ.
- For a fully developed treatment of redundant language see the Pleonasm article; this list does not (redundantly) cite the same sources or link to the same reference works.
[edit] See also
- Pleonasm
- RAS syndrome
- Redundancy (language)
- Tautology
- List of oxymora (opposite of redundant expression)
- List of tautological place names
- Double negative