.... I get a real kick out of how writers always have to point out that Bodies that were recovered .... Were actually .... "Dead" Bodies .... And Not just "Bodies" ..... Cracks me up every time ....
MLP: Cringe-worthy redundancies, and an admission...and many more at the link
Coeur d'Alene Press
December 9, 2021Waste not, want not, as the old adage goes. Words shouldn’t pile up like useless trash on a dump site. The poor fellows have value, says your Mrs. Language Person. Dignity! Due respect!
Each word deserves its place in the linguistic sun. Synonyms must be separated, carved out of the jumble (but never “separated out,” as reader J.P. noted).
Please, Dear Reader, say it isn’t merely word nerds who balk at such cringe-worthy redundancies. They’re simply not where it’s at. (Shudder! Two place references need not occupy the same sentence. Sigh.)
If two words essentially mean the same thing, they should part ways. To MLP, hearing them conjoined is like nails screeching down the old chalkboard. Spare her the agony.
MLP begs your supportive efforts to avoid, correct, and abhor these common redundant phrases:
Where she’s at. It’s where she is. She is at home. Never, never “where it’s at.”
These ones. These already specify. Which ones? These. “These ones” is overkill.
Unexpected surprise. As opposed to an expected surprise? Come now.
Basic necessities. This tired cliché may be argued, as occasionally something unusual may become a necessity. But if something is “basic” it generally is a necessity, so good editors tend to eliminate one or the other.
ATM machine and HTML language. It pays to know one’s acronyms. Automated Teller Machine and Hypertext Markup Language are sufficient; no need to repeat the last word. Rather like the Sahara, without the desert (“sahara” is Arabic for desert).
Added bonus. A bonus is something extra. It’s added already, so an added bonus is repetitive.