THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, February 11, 1995 TAG: 9502100070
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Larry Maddry
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
REDUNDANT: more than enough; overabundant; excess; superfluous.
Writer Max Beerbohm once defined good taste as knowing when you've gone too far. A redundancy is a statement that goes too far. It begins on the path of reason but crawls - or leaps - over a cliff into absurdity.
One thing's sure. Readers don't like redundancies. And this week's mail proves it. There are a lot of astute readers out there complaining about redundancies that set their teeth on edge.
Whether it's a RAGING FIRESTORM or a FREE GIFT, their blood pressure rises whenever they see one - particularly if it's used by someone who should know better.
In a column last week that listed a few redundancies - including one of mine - readers were asked to share some that they found irritating. And they did, bless 'em.
Richard Darcey of Rodanthe, N.C., is provoked by NEW RECORD. He notes that print and broadcast journalists often use the idiotic phrase. ``There are only OLD records!'' he exclaims, correctly.
Mrs. J.P. Berkeley of Shore Drive in Virginia Beach puts TRUE FACT at the top of her list. But she also dislikes WITH AU JUS.
Brian Bell of Spinaker Court in Virginia Beach writes:
``The most irritating redundancy for me is `at this point in time.' I think that phrase was perpetrated and perpetuated by President Nixon. In any case, he used it enough to unfortunately popularize this redundancy, which one hears from almost everyone.
``It is either `AT THIS TIME' or `AT THIS POINT,' never the two together.''
S.D. Miller of 44th Street in Virginia Beach says her favorite is CLUELESS MAN. Oh, my. I don't have a clue why she's on my case.
Sally Condrey of Country Club Circle in Virginia Beach has a great list of obnoxious redundancies. All, she says, were gleaned from newscasts or uttered by folks in high places who should know better. Here's a trimmed down - make that trimmed, please - version:
CUT BACK, CAGED UP, LIFT UP, SPLIT APART, FINISH UP, BREAK APART, STARTED UP, RETALIATION AGAINST, ERODING AWAY, EVACUATED EVERYBODY OUT, FLAMES CONTINUE TO BURN, SEALED SHUT, SEPARATE OUT, LINKED UP, MERGED TOGETHER, AND FOCUS IN ON.
And here's a nice note from Mary Quinley of Treefern Drive in Virginia Beach: ``One of the most common redundancies that irritate is `EACH AND EVERY.' ''
A letter from Susan Rowell of Heritage Avenue in Virginia Beach proves that even the best writers are guilty of redundancies now and then.
Science writer Isaac Asimov, an acknowledged genius, wrote an article on editing that caught Susan's eye. Asimov used the phrase ``CULLED OUT.''
Susan wrote to chide him for the redundancy. ``He compounded the felony by CULLING OUT THE BEST!'' she writes.
Susan said she received a gracious card from Asimov in which he thanked her for pointing out his error and offered a tip for avoiding such mistakes. (Use simpler words.)
Some redundancies Susan finds irritating:
TOTALLY DESTROYED.
SUDDENLY EXPLODED.
SHIRKED FROM.
CENTERED AROUND.
As a bonus, she tosses in a couple of language goofs passed along by David Frost during a speech to the National Press Club.
A radio DJ: ``The next song is dedicated to Mrs. Iris Murphy, who is 111. Excuse me, the next song is dedicated to Mrs. Iris Murphy, who is ill.''
A tour guide addressing a planeload of international travelers: ``Welcome to Israel, a Mecca for tourists!''
Thanks for writing, redundancy sleuths. I enjoyed each and every letter. Uh-oh, I've done it again. by CNB