Editor's Corner

Good morning! For my growing number of contrarians, I have another set of redundancies for you to pick apart mercilessly. The phrases for N, O, and P continue from the list of 200 Common Redundancies we’ve been reviewing. I can’t wait to read what you disagree with today or to see your photographic evidence of how these phrases are not redundant. (Consider gauntlet thrown down!)

N

• (natural) instinct
• never (before)
• (new) beginning
• (new) innovation
• (new) invention
• (new) recruit
• none (at all)
• nostalgia (for the past)
• (now) pending

O

• off (of)
• (old) adage
• (old) cliché
• (old) proverb
• (open) trench
• open (up) [KC – Next time your dentist says this, you might nibble gently on his or her finger to indicate your displeasure.] Disclaimer: This advice is not condoned by the American Dental Association.
• (originally) created
• output (out of) [KC – C’mon, people. Yuck.]
• (outside) in the yard
• outside (of)
• (over) exaggerate
• over (with)
• (overused) cliché

P

• (pair of) twins
• palm (of the hand) [KC – I suppose you could have a palm of a tree, or a heart of a palm. But you have to admit, when someone presents you with a tiny baby bunny, it sounds much more
  magnificent when you say it fits “in the palm of (your) hand.”]

  

• (passing) fad
• (past) experience
• (past) history
• (past) memories
• (past) records
• penetrate (into)
• period (of time)
• (personal) friend
• (personal) opinion
• pick (and choose)
• PIN (number)
• pizza (pie) [KC – I don’t see a problem with this if you’re distinguishing between a pie and a slice. 8½ million New Yorkers can’t be wrong!]
• plan (ahead)
• plan (in advance)
• (Please) RSVP [KC – This is one of those “bilingual” redundancies. As Mr. Samuel Dean pointed out to me yesterday, the “Los Angeles Angels” is another one.]
• plunge (down)
• (polar) opposites
• (positive) identification
• postpone (until later)
• pouring (down) rain
• (pre)heat [KC – Tell my cookbooks and oven—see how far you get.]
• (pre)record
• (present) incumbent
• present (time)
• previously listed (above)
• proceed (ahead)
• (proposed) plan
• protest (against)
• pursue (after)

Kara Church

Senior Technical Editor