Let the Word Do the Work

Let the Word Do the Work Let the Word Do the Work Let the Word Do the Work By Maeve Maddox When language-mutilator Yogi Berra said that something was like deja vu all over again, everybody laughed. Lately I get the feeling that some people who say it dont know its a joke. Yogis belts and suspenders approach to words seems to be on the increase. Weve all seen ads that offer a free gift. Sometimes its an absolutely free gift. Its as if people dont trust a word to mean what it means. Some recent examples from the media include: adequate enough, a navy sailor, an army soldier, coupled together with, and the maroon-colored Jaguar. Sometimes explanatory constructions are necessary in certain contexts. One can refer to a Mafia soldier, for example, but if the context is the evening news about the Iraq war, a listener can be trusted to understand the word without tacking on army. Besides sounding foolish, the practice of bolstering a word with a a word that replicates its meaning weakens the expressiveness of the language. Here are some redundant combinations Ive heard or read lately in the media. The careful writer will avoid such nonsense. return back progress forward forests of trees other alternatives continue on evacuated out regress back penetrate through speeding too fast refinanced again a human person charred black a baby nursery reiterate again fast forward ahead socialize together two twin towers added bonus end result new innovation very unique Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Religious Terms You Should KnowBetween vs. In Between5 Examples of Misplaced Modifiers