Pleonasms or Tautological Redundancies

(avoid redundancies or excessive repetitiousness by not using unnecessary repetitions and superfluous words or more word usages than is needed, desired, or required)

The use of pleonasms results in a superfluity of words, sometimes deliberately, for emphasis; or the unnecessary repetitions resulting from a lack of the realization that such terms are redundant.

A tautological statement, sentence, etc. repeats its meaning in an unnecessary or excessive way by using different words to say the same thing.

* The pleonasms followed by an asterisk (*) came from an essay, "The Affluent Rich"; by Nat Boynton in his book, Media Rare. My special thanks to Mr. Jerry Gordon for contributing a copy of the essay so I could go through it and pick out the "UR's" (Unnecessary Redundancies) or pleonasms.

Please contribute any pleonasms you may come across from any of the media and let's make this list even more significant as it expands. You may send your suggestion, or suggestions, to e-mail contact or use this e-mail address: [email protected]

temporary reprieve (s) (noun), temporary reprieves (pl)
A relief from harm or discomfort at a certain time: The temporary reprieve from pain in Jack’s leg lasted only 5 minutes and then it returned again.
The hoi polloi
This term, hoi, means "the"; so, The hoi polloi means: The the polloi (common people).
The La Brea Tar Pits
The The Tar Tar Pits
tiny speck
top priority, top-priority (s) (noun); top priorities, top-priorities (pl)
Item of highest importance. A redundant statement?
total chaos
total destruction
totally blind
totally deaf
totally demolished
totally empty
totally full
totally unnecessary
true facts
tuna fish

Also see the unit of pleio-, plio- words meaning, "more, most; excessive; multiple".