Alphadictionary.com

Dr. Goodword’s Language Blog

Redundancy in the Way we Speak

Rhonda Taylor sent a couple of redundant phrases some time back. I publish them here without comment:

  • hot water heater: In fact, it heats cold water. Call the plumber our hot water heater has a leak.
  • hose pipe: In fact, a hose is nothing but a flexible pipe. You kids quit squirting each other with the hose pipe.
  • ATM machine: In fact, ATM stands for “automatic teller machine”; you don’t need to add an extra “machine”. I have to stop at the ATM machine on the way.

What’s your favorite peeve of this type?

One Response to “Redundancy in the Way we Speak”

  1. Linda Says:

    PIN Number, since PIN stands for Personal Identification Number.

Leave a Reply