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]

twelve o'clock midnight, or twelve midnight
twelve o'clock noon; or twelve noon
two-man tandem *
"Tandem" refers to a setup in which two things are arranged one behind the other.
two-person tandem *
ultimate goal
unexpected emergency
unexpected surprise
unhealthy sickness
unique (redundant version)
Pleonasms or redundancies include: totally unique; completely unique, very unique, and most unique.

Unique is unique; that is, it is one of a kind; and any other modifier is unnecessary and it is even considered to be an error in English usage!

university college students
unmarried bachelor
unmarried old maid
unnecessary redundancies *
unsolved mystery
useless and unnecessary

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