March 1, 2004

Word of the Day

pleonasm \PLEE-uh-naz-uhm\, noun:

  1. The use of more words than are necessary to express an idea; as, "I saw it with my own eyes."
  2. An instance or example of pleonasm.
  3. A superfluous word or expression.

Such 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

Source: Dictionary.com

Posted March 1, 2004 1:47 PM
Comments

I must say that it was very nice of you to post this particular piece, if you will, on your Blog. It certainly made me reflect on trying to be more concise and less verbose in the way I express my feelings at any given point in time.I can't help but thank you.

Posted by: Dad at March 1, 2004 4:36 PM
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