Clear speaking is a sign of clear thinking. Unfortunately, common American speech is littered with redundancies, repetitive phrases that add words without adding meaning.
Here are a few common redundancies you hear all the time, but probably never stopped to consider how pointless they are.
• “Value for the money.” In this context, the word “value” means “Equivalent worth or return in money.” So when someone says something like, “That meal was a real value for the money,” she’s really saying, “That meal was really worth it for the money for the money.” If you think something was a bargain, just say, “It was a real value.” Period.
• “Free Gift.” You see this one all the time in advertising, as in, “Act now and receive a free gift!” The problem is, to be a “gift,” something must be, by definition, free. If you have to pay for it, it’s not a gift! So if you’re giving something away, just offer a “gift” or a “free (insert item here).” And while you’re at it, strike “Free of charge” from your vocabulary. “Free” alone says it all.
• “Future Plans.” Plans are always about the future. (You can’t make plans about the past, can you?) Next time you’re preparing for things-to-come, make “plans.” Just plans.
• “At This Point in Time.” Try, “At this time.” Or better yet, “Now.” (There, you’ve just saved four words.)
• “Tuna Fish.” Is there a “tuna cow”?
• The Stuttering Acronym. Our world is crammed with TLAs (“Three-Letter Acronyms”). More often than not, the nature of the subject is contained within the acronym itself. (Examples: ATM = Automatic Teller Machine, GPS = Global Positioning System, PIN = Personal Identification Number, etc.) But how often do you find your saying “ATM machine,” “GPS system” or “PIN number”? In the future, just use the TLA without further modification. You’ll be UJF (Understood Just Fine).
