COMMON REDUNDANCIES (to Avoid)

Not all redundancies are "repetitively redundant" or "huge giants." Many of them, like the title of this page, are actually quite subtle and are, therefore, hard to spot. The title, "Common Redundancies to Avoid," assumes that there are some redundancies that don't need to be avoided, and it's quite safe to say that that asumption is entirely false; that's what makes it redundant.

Following is a list of common redundancies commonly found in the writings of the common writer who writes commonly (Tee hee). A quick scan of these should help you generalize what to look for in your own writing. Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: There is need for some caution in poking fun at, or even trying to avoid all redundancies. Sometimes a word or idea is repeated, not because of carelessness or lack of understanding, but for emphasis. The phrases "Twelve Midnight" and "Twelve Noon" are both clearly redundant, but they could be translated as, "the stroke of midnight" or "high noon," respectively. They are redundant to emphasize exactitude. Even the taboo number "666" can be thought of as an emphasis on the power of "mankind, mankind, mankind" in contrast with the authority or power of God. In Canada, we commonly hear people say something such as, "not too too bad," which is a type of contra-emphasis. Again, something can be said to be "very, very good," for emphasis. In compiling the following examples, I tried to emphasize redundancies that do not work well and phrases of emphasis, only those whose presence adds nothing to meaning but are distractions from meaning.

ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL
There are no degrees of essential.

ABSOLUTELY SURE
There are no degrees of sureness, either.

ACTUAL EXPERIENCE
Experience that is not actual is non-experience.

ADVANCE WARNING
A warning not in advance is news, not warning.

ADVANCE PLANS
Plans not made in advance are no plans at all. They are lessons.

ARE CURRENTLY
"Are" suggests currently.

ASSEMBLE TOGETHER
Can you assemble and not be together?

AT THE PRESENT TIME
Just say, "at this time" or "at the present."

AT THIS POINT IN TIME
Just say, "at this time" or "at this point"

BARE NAKED
You cannot be naked without being bare.

BASIC FUNDAMENTALS
This is like saying "basic basics."

NEVER BEFORE IN MY LIFE
Just say, "never before."

BLEND TOGETHER
Can something be blended apart?

BOUQUET OF FLOWERS
You cannot have a bouquet of anything else.

BRIEF CAMEO
"Cameo" suggests brief.

CANCEL OUT
You can "take out" or "cancel" but "cancel out" is like saying "take out out."

CLOSE PROXIMITY
This is like saying, "close closeness."

COMMUTE BACK AND FORTH
One can't commute otherwise than back and forth.

CONSULT WITH
You can just "consult" as in "consult your attorney."

CONTINUE ON
All you need is "continue."

CROUCH DOWN
Can you crouch up or over?

DESCEND DOWN
Is there another direction I can go to descend?

DIFFICULT DILEMMA
"Dilemma" suggests difficulty.

DROP DOWN
Can I drop up or over?

EARLIER IN TIME
"Earlier" suggests "in time."

END RESULT
Is there another result?

ENTER INTO
I'd rather enter out of.

OUR E.T.A. IS APPROXIMATELY . . .
The "E" stands for "estimated," which means "Approximately."

EQUAL TO ONE ANOTHER
Just say "equal."

FACE UP TO
You can just face the music or consequences.

FALL DOWN
Can a person fall sideways or up?

FALSE PRETENSES
Can pretenses be true?

FELLOW CLASSMATES
"Mate" suggests fellow.

FELLOW SHIPMATES
IBID

FILLED TO CAPACITY
Can it be filled but not to capacity?

FIRST OF ALL
Just say "first."

FIRST TIME EVER
Just say "first time."

FOREIGN IMPORTS
If they're not foreign, they're not imports.

FORWARD PLANNING
You can't plan backwards.

FREE GIFTS
I have yet to ever buy a gift from someone or make someone pay for a gift.

FUTURE PLANS
You can't plan for the past. That's called "learning."

GATHER TOGETHER
Can we "gather" and not be "together"?

GATHER UP
Just say "gather."

GENERAL PUBLIC
As opposed to "specific public," maybe?

GLOWING EMBER
If it's not glowing, it's not an ember.

HAD DONE PREVIOUSLY
You can't have done something in the future.

HONEST TRUTH
A dishonest truth is a lie.

HOT WATER HEATER
Just say "water heater."

I PERSONALLY
Just say "I" unless you mean "confidentially."

IN ACTUAL FACT
"In fact" would already be "actual."

INNER FEELINGS
If you're discussing emotions, they're already inner.

INTERCONNECTED
Just say "connected."

INTRODUCED A NEW
If something is introduced, it's new.

JUST RECENTLY
If something "just" happened, it happened recently.

KNEEL DOWN
Can I kneel up or over?

KNELT DOWN
IBID

LEFT BEHIND
If you're behind, you've been left.

LIFT UP
To "lift over" would be "to carry," and you can't "lift down," now, can you?

LINGER ON
Just say "linger."

LITTLE BIT
"Bit" suggests little.

MAIN FOCUS
Just say "focus."

MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH
Any breakthrough is usually pretty major already.

MASS MEDIA
"Media" is plural, and they reach masses already.

MAY POSSIBLY
You only need one word (or the other). :)

MEET TOGETHER
Even if you meet on Skype, you're still together "on Skype."

MENTAL TELEPATHY
Telepathy is mental without having to say it.

MERGED TOGETHER
You cannot merge apart.

MIDNIGHT HOUR
Midnight is already an hour without saying it.

MIGHT POSSIBLY
You only need one of these words.

MIX TOGETHER
Can elements be mixed apart?

NATURAL INSTINCT
Instincts are natural, not learned.

NEVER BEFORE
Just say "never."

NEW RECORD
This phrase only becomes redundant after a record has become news.

NO TRESPASSING ALLOWED
Just say "no trespassing."

NOW PENDING
Just say "pending."

NULL AND VOID
Yes, it's a common expression, but something that is nullified is already void.

OFF OF
Just say "off."

OLD ADAGE
If it isn't old, it isn't an adage, hence the name: Ad-age.

ONE AND THE SAME
If they are "one," can they be otherwise than "the same?"

ORBITS AROUND
Just say "orbits."

OR ALTERNATIVELY
You only need one of these words.

OR AS AN ALTERNATIVE
Say either "or" or "as an alternative."

ORIGINALLY CREATED
If someone created something, that something must therefore be original.
Note: "Created the original" is entirely different.

ORIGINALLY DISCOVERED
There are no subsequent discoveries of something.

OVER EXAGGERATE
Just say "exaggerate."

OVER WITH
Just say "over."

PAIR OF TWINS
This phrase is either redundant or it means two sets of twins.

PASSING FAD
If it's a fad, it is ephemeral.

PAST EXPERIENCE
There is no future experience.

PAST MEMORIES
There are no future memories, either.

PENETRATE INTO
You only need one of these words.

PERIOD OF TIME
If you're discussing a certain time, it's already a period.

PERSONAL BELONGINGS
Belongings are already personal.

PICK-UP TRUCK
Unless you know of a pick-up car, just say "pick-up."

PINPOINT EXACT LOCATION
Without a different scale map, one cannot be more precise than a pinpoint.

PLAN AHEAD
You can't plan in reverse.

POINT IN TIME
Just say "at this point" or "at this time."

POSTPONE UNTIL LATER
Can you postpone in a way other than later?

PREPLAN
"Plan" suggests "pre" (meaning 'in advance').

PUT OFF UNTIL LATER
Can you "put off" in a way other than later?

RAISE UP
Can something be raised in another direction?

REASON IS BECAUSE
That's like saying the "cause is because . . ."

REASON WHY IS BECAUSE
That's like saying the "cause is caused because . . ."

REFLECT BACK
Reflect forward would be like remembering forward.

REGULAR ROUTINE
A routine is regular by nature.

REPEAT AGAIN
No matter how many times you repeat, you never need to add "again."

REPLY BACK
Just say, "reply."

RISE UP
Can you rise in any other direction?

ROUGH ESTIMATE
If it's an estimate, it's already rough.

SAFE HAVEN
If it isn't safe, it's not a haven.

SHORT SUMMARY
If it's not short, it's not a summary; it's a rewrite.

STAND UP ON YOUR FEET
While a person can "stand down," that idea has nothing to do with anyone's feet. Say "stand up."

START OUT
Just say "start."

START OFF WITH
IBID

SIFFICIENT ENOUGH
You only need one of these words.

SWOOP DOWN
You can't swoop up or over.

TALKING ALOUD
If you're talking, it's aloud. Note: "Aloud" has nothing to do with "loud" or "volume;" it simply means audible.

THESE ONES
Just say "these."

THINKING IN MY HEAD
Can you think in another part of your anatomy?

THOUGHT TO MYSELF
Can you think to anyone else?

TOTALLY DESTROY
Just say "destroy."

TRUE FACTS
False facts would be lies.

TUNA FISH
Unless you know of a kind of tuna that's not a fish, just say "tuna."

UNCONFIRMED RUMOUR
Once a rumour is confirmed, it's a fact.

UNDENIABLE TRUTH
Truth that can be denied is not truth.

UNDERNEATH
Just say "under." Note: "neath," in this word, comes from "nether," which already means "under."

UNEXPECTED SURPRISE
A surprise can be pleasant or unpleasant, but if it expected it's not a surprise.

UNSOLVED MYSTERY
Once a mystery is solved, it is no longer a mystery.

USUAL CUSTOM
Just say "custom."

VERY BEGINNING
There are no degrees of "beginningness."

VERY END
There are no degrees of "endness," either.

VERY UNIQUE
Nor are there degrees of "uniqueness."

WHETHER OR NOT
Just say "whether."

WHOLE LOT
Just say "lot."

WRITTEN DOWN
Just say "written."

YOUNG BOY
"Boy" suggests young.

YOUNG GIRL
"Girl" suggests young.

YOUNG LAD
"Lad" suggests young.

YOUNG LASS
"Lass" suggests young.

YOUNG FAWN
"Fawn" suggests young.

YOUNG FOAL
"Foal" suggests young.

YOUNG COLT
"Colt" suggests young.