5.31.2006
Word of the Day: Pleonasm
pleonasm \PLEE-uh-naz-uhm\, noun:
1. The use of more words than are necessary to express an idea.
2. An instance or example of pleonasm.
3. A superfluous word or expression.Dougan uses many words where few would do, as if pleonasm were a way of wringing every possibility out of the material he has, and stretching sentences a form of spreading the word.
-- Paula Cocozza, "Book review: How Dynamo Kiev beat the Luftwaffe", Independent, March 2, 2001Such a phrase from President Nixon's era, much favored by politicians, is "at this moment in time." Presumably these five words mean "now." That pleonasm probably does little harm except, perhaps, to the reputation of the speaker.
-- Eoin McKiernan, "Last Word: Special Relationships", Irish America, August 31, 1994
What a terrific word! (Not quite as good as abecedary, but possibly a close second.) Not to be confused with neoplasm.
I know that I haven't posted in awhile, or at least in awhile by my standards of late. I've been working on a few big posts for awhile and I'm not sure I want to post them. I wrote both of them along time ago and have slowly been whipping them into shape, but I'm not entirely satisfied that they are blog-worthy or blog-advisable. I don't want to, you know, expose myself too much or risk embarrassing other people. One of them, in particular, is a pretty harsh critique of a community that I only view as an outsider or, at best, as occasional visitor. We'll see. Maybe I'll sleep on them for another few nights...or months.
Labels: words
