More on pleonasm
I bought a book a while ago... in fact, I bought quite a few books a while ago, on one particular day in good ol' Koorong, and three of them happened to be by Adrian Plass. (Yes, you could say I'm a little obsessed)
Two days ago I finally started reading one of them - The Sacred Diary of Adrian Plass ON TOUR. Having read his previous two Sacred Diary volumes, I couldn't resist when I saw there was a new one out... Even though it's a hardback, which I find dreadfully annoying. However, it has faithfully lived up to the laugh-out-loud standard set by the first two, and I have very much enjoyed getting reacquainted with Adrian and his "fictional entourage", wife Anne, son Gerald, and various tag-alongs. If you've never met these characters, I STRONGLY recommend you get your hands on one of the aforementioned volumes. Start at the first one if you can (Sacred Diary of Adrian Plass, Age 34 1/2, I think), but if you can't it doesn't matter.
Anyway, I was but 3 pages into TSDofAPOT (That's for you, Tim) when I stumbled across some handy blog material. Namely, a case of "pleonasm". Allow me to indulge, it's just too funny.
(Go here to see my first post on this phenomenon... or just scroll down a bit)
A new member of our church, a man we knew only by sight, who was called Barry Ingstone, was keen for his Christian printing business to sponsor our tour so that, as he put it in a letter to me, 'the gospel can be preached and souls saved for God in these, our times'. I suppose that last bit meant 'now'.
As Homer would say, "It's funny 'cos it's true".
Can anyone think of any corker pleonasms that they'd like to share with the rest of us word-geeks? (Walker, I know you're out there!)
posted by deborah @ 11:07 PM
5 Comments:
Hey Sheb, since no one else is writing on your blog I will xo
Dad and I have become rather weary of "at the end of the day" as used by politicians. I'm not sure if it is a neoplasm, but I think people actually mean "when it's all been said and done" ---is there a word or phrase that expresses that clearly and accrtately?
If you are reading this, get back to work!!
oops...should have nbeen pleonasm I realize....
you probably could call it a neoplasm mum!
as far as a more concise/accurate replacement... I don't know. I think we use phrases like that, because to spell out what we ACTUALLY mean word for work would just take too long! Perhaps 'afterall' would be the shortest way of expressing the "at the end of the day" concept.
hey mum, what's with the American spelling of 'realize'?! Has microsoft word been polluting your mind?
call yourself an aussie... phff!
I realise now the error of my spelling ways thanks Deb...how did you like accrtately? Almost as bad as liberry! should be working myself ..in these our times! The internet has a lot to answer for with us procrastinators...
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