Tautology III

More unnecessarily superfluous and redundantly otiose verbiage (more here and here):

Time, Numbers
There's no need to use “back in” for a few years ago (“back in 2006”), even if it seems like the Dark Ages to you.
the tender age of 24 (we can work it out)


Avoid adding redundant words
has also attracted other imitators (has attracted imitators)
it could also have many other applications (it could have many other applications)
it has indeed
he knew full wellthey might well be
none at all
packed full
prefer instead
pool together (they pooled all the data together = they pooled the data)
together with


Spectre, Scandal, Threat
Crisis argues that instead of doubling its efforts to end the "scandal" of homelessness, the government is in effect making it impossible for those on low incomes to pay their rent. Guardian August 31, 2011 (Crisis wants to end homelesness, which it thinks is a scandal.)

Save Aduga and her cubs from the threat of extinction. (from extinction – they mean “from extinction, which is threatened”)

the prospect of war could yet be avoided – war could etc

"If this is upper Silesia, what on earth must Lower Silesia be like," P.G. Wodehouse asked himself when interned by the Nazis in World War II. Wodehouse never wasted a word - the "on earth" has been added in. There are links to his account of internment here.

Chapman, ever the consummate opportunist, offered his services as a turncoat agent. wikipedia on Agent Zigzag

And don't try to improve a joke: “he simply removed his false leg”, “quick as a flash, he snapped back…” “without missing a beat, he replied…”, "with impeccable timing, he riposted..."



big transcontinental motorways (there aren't many small ones [litotes])

Bill Bratton, the former US police chief now advising the government on gangs, has told the Guardian he can bring about "transformational" change in the UK BBC August 15, 2011 (That's like saying "changey change".)

bodes well for the future (you can’t bode backwards)

brutal axing of the News of the World (you can't axe something gently)

decreed that X had to be done

exploited ruthlessly (can you exploit mercifully?)

fierce riots (we wouldn’t bother reporting tame or feeble riots)

It’s a terrible national embarrassment.

pose a real threat/pose a very real threat (we wouldn’t bother mentioning an imaginary threat)

strongly deny (he strongly denies the charge)

the brutal 1960-1996 civil war in which 200,000 people were killed (brutal not necessary if we have death toll)

The truth/fact is…

total paragon