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]

pizza pie
plane flying aloft in the air above *
play actor
Please RSVP (interjection)
Repondez S'il Vous Plait: is French for "Respond, if you please"; however, if anyone states in writing, or verbally, "Please RSVP", then that person is actually saying, "Please respond, if you please!"; or "Please, please respond!"
P.M. in the evening
poisonous venoms
polar opposites
positive yes
postponed until later
potentially capable *
pre planning
precise precision
I got through a number of things in the area of defense, like showing the importance of cruise missiles and getting them more accurate so that we can have precise precision.
"Senator Dan Quayle referring to his legislative accomplishments.
(as seen in The NY Times 8/26/88)
present incumbent
previously listed above
prior planning

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