Do You Employ Redundancy? #7

The last of these ventures into the land of redundant words, repetitions and silly syntax. If you’ve travelled with me, you should know what to do with Fowler’s Modern English Usage!

Absolutely guaranteed: Any guarantee that isn’t absolute (as it should be) isn’t worth the paper that describes it.

Advance warning: Warnings, by their nature, occur before an event; qualifying them with ‘advance’ is superfluous. A warning issued after the event is pointless.

At the present time: ‘At present’ means now. Enough said.

Merge together: If you merge things, you bring them together. You can’t merge apart.

Completely finished: Something finished is complete, that’s what ‘finished’ means. And I’m finished with this definition.

During the course of: ‘During’ means ‘throughout the duration or course of’. Let’s cut out the inessential.

Free gift: A gift is, or should be, free. Though I accept that some gifts are given more freely than others. But marketers can usually be relied upon to distort all language to their advantage.

Written down: If you’ve written it, you’ve taken it down. You no more need write it down than up, unless, of course, you’re using the expression in the accountants’ manner.

Final rant in this series. But there’ll be other series! 

I’m looking at the very frequent use of ‘very’, very soon.

Related articles

• Do You Employ Redundancy? #2
• Do You Employ Redundancy? #6
• Do You Employ Redundancy? #5

Do You Employ Redundancy? #5

One more venture into the land of unwarranted words, repetitions and sinful syntax. If you’re a guilty party, you’re sentence is a series of serious sessions studying Fowler’s Modern English Usage!

Advance planning: Planning, by its very nature nature, is done in advance, otherwise it’s not planning, is it? Keep ‘advance’ for your language studies.

Filled to capacity: If you fill something, you do so to capacity. No need for both words to describe this.

Join together: You know, you can’t ‘join apart’, you can, in fact, only join things, people etc., in a manner that brings them together. ‘Together’ isn’t needed.

New beginning: Something begins when it’s new. ‘New’ is superfluous.

Completely filled: See above. Something that’s filled is thoroughly so. Whilst you need a modifier if something is only partially filled, you don’t need it when the deed is completed.

Forever and ever: A dubious duplication encouraged by some fairy tales and, unbelievably, the Lord’s Prayer! If it’s forever, it can’t be for any longer, so the second ‘ever’ is redundant.

Same identical: Something that is the same is identical. Enough said.

Therapeutic treatment: Off you go to the therapist for treatment. If it isn’t therapeutic, you aren’t getting your money’s worth, are you?

Unintended mistake: A mistake is an error, a slip-up, an accident. By its nature such a thing is not intended.

Absolutely sure: Sure about something? Then you have no doubt. Certainty (or being sure) is an absolute state, so ‘absolute’ is superfluous.  

Yet another rant done with. But there will be more!

Related articles

• Do You Employ Redundancy? #1
• Do You Employ Redundancy? #4
• Do You Employ Redundancy? #2

Do You Employ Redundancy? #4

Another adventure in the land of unwanted words, repetitions and gory grammar. If you’re guilty, the sentence is a serious session absorbing Fowler’s Modern English Usage!

Absolutely essential: Something essential is necessary. ‘Absolutely’ is an unnecessary appendage; cut it out.

Advance notice: Notices, by their nature, proclaim a future event. Once the event is done with, they become redundant, rather like the use of ‘advance’ here.

Ask a question: If you pose a question, you are seeking an answer. You can ask, or you can question; to do both is a tautology. Please chose one.

Collaborate together: Collaboration requires connection with others. You can’t collaborate alone.

False pretence: Pretence is deception; it’s already false.

Foreign imports: Imports originate in another country; their foreign nature is therefore implicit. Don’t make them feel unwelcome by repeating the fact, eh?

Protest against: Protest is opposition: simple as that, really.

Suddenly exploded: Ain’t no such animal as a slow explosion. It can’t be any more immediate than it is.

For a number of days: ‘Days’ is a plural. You can’t have 1 days, so, if you’re spending days, there must be more than one. Okay?

As for example: ‘As’ implies an example is provided; use ‘as’ or ‘for example’ or ‘e.g.’, but not together, please.

One more rant done with. But there will be more!

Related articles

• Do You Employ Redundancy? #1
• Do You Employ Redundancy? #2
• Do You Employ Redundancy? #3

Books About Writing Books

Check out the Thesaurus' sibling, Dictionary. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As writers, we all need to read; it's an essential part of the creative process. Anyone who tries to write but doesn't read will fail unless they rank amongst the geniuses.

But it's not the books you read for comparison, pleasure, or general information I want to discuss today. I want to introduce you to those books I use when actually engaged in the process of writing. I've never been a particular fan of the 'How To…' approach, although I do have a couple of titles, which begin with those words, on my shelves. I find myself drawn more to two distinctly diverse sets of books on or to do with writing.

First there are what I would define as the essential reference books; the dictionaries, grammar guides and others to do with the mechanics of setting words down on paper.

I once met a man, who styled himself an author, and discovered he didn't own a dictionary and never consulted one, even online. I was puzzled how someone dealing with words could be so uninterested in their true meanings, how an author could work without something as basic as a guide to what words actually mean. And then I had the misfortune to read one of his stories. It was, mercifully, short. Something like ten per cent of the words suffered incorrect spelling, another five per cent were simply the wrong words in the wrong places and, in a couple of cases, the words he'd used actually meant the exact opposite to what he had intended. I gently pointed out these facts to him. 'Just because it's in a dictionary, doesn't make it right!' was his first retort. I was tempted to use logic and reason on this poor arrogant and misguided fool but saw at once I'd be wasting my breath. He hasn't sent me any more of his writing. Although that wasn't my aim, I have to say I'm pleased. I hate cruelty, and the way he tortured English must have contravened some Article of the Geneva Convention. In fact, I believe he's stopped writing and is now expressing his talent through rather poorly executed  drawings. And, no, he's never had a drawing lesson or taken the trouble to visit an art gallery or read a book to see how an accomplished artist does the job.

I've used a number of dictionaries over the years, but my favourite is undoubtedly the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, which I have in the 2 volume version in print and on a CD Rom. It probably says much about me that I prefer to rifle through the printed books when looking for meanings and/or spellings. I also have Partridge's A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, which is an excellent piece of work, though rather pricey. The Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors has a place on my shelf and is consulted for those small technical issues not covered by other tomes. Then there's Laurence Urdlang's A Dictionary of Misunderstood Misused Mispronounced Words, which is a great source of fun as well as reference; good for 'dipping'. I gathered Julian Franklyn's A Dictionary of Rhyming Slang one day when I came across it in a book shop at the time I was developing a cockney character for a story; a useful addition, if a little specialist. And Hugh Rawson's A Dictionary of Euphemisms and Other Doubletalk is a source of as much amusement as it is of information.

Some time ago, after suffering torture at the hands of a manager delivering a course on management techniques, I came across Kenneth Hudson's The Dictionary of Diseased English and knew I must have it. It's a useful defence for those moments when I'm tempted, by that devil sitting on my shoulder, into using the current jargon and management speak; its caustic and often sarcastic definitions of such language are enough to keep any writer on track and out of the quagmire. I particularly enjoy his comments about many of the terms used to describe wines.  My final dictionary dealing with words rather than other research subjects, is the Penguin Rhyming Dictionary; a cheat's aid for those occasions when you want to write some rhyming poetry but the muse fails to deliver.

Then there are those volumes that deal with how we actually use language. Here I'll simply list those I've bought because they each have something useful and pertinent to say about English usage.

Fowler's Modern English Usage - considered by many to be the ultimate authority.

Oxford Dictionary of Current Idiomatic English - occasionally useful for resolving issues at doubt.

Hart's Rules for Compositors and Readers - a handbook to help in the editing process (especially of galley proofs).

Eric Partridge, Usage and Abusage - a great book for dipping into or for trawling when some serious matter of grammar arises.

The Oxford Manual of Style - a book which does what it says on the spine.

And, of course, Thomas Parish's The Grouchy Grammarian, which addresses the 47 most common mistakes in English in a humorous manner.

Next are the other word books no self-respecting writer should be without: the Thesaurus. I have a selection, since each of the collection has something different to add to the lists of alternative words. A word of caution about these handy aids, however; they should be a last resort, following your own hard-thinking process, only when the elusive fails to materialise in your own imagination.

My favourite is the older edition of Roget's Thesaurus, rather amusingly subtitled 'New Edition', which it undoubtedly was when published in 1987. I prefer its layout and method of selection.

I also have the Oxford Compact Thesaurus, a real tome - heaven knows what the comprehensive version looks like!

Hartrampf's Vocabulary Builder deals with the subject in a slightly different manner and is now out of print. I purchased mine through an online second hand book dealer and use it from time to time when one of my others fails to quite satisfy.

The New Nuttall Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms serves well for those occasions when you know the word that means the opposite of what you actually need; a valuable member of the club.

So much for technicalities. What about inspiration and instruction? I long ago bought Dorothea Brande's Becoming a Writer. If you buy no other book about the art of writing, buy this one. And do the exercises. It will help you immensely in your development as a wordsmith. The book has been in and out of print since it was first published in 1934. I obtained my 1984 reprint by chance from a second hand book shop. I did all the exercises and return to some of them from time to time to refresh my creative spirit.

Stephen King is a master of his craft and his On Writing is another source of inspiration. I recommend it.

And, to end this section, I'm currently part way through Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, a book form of her 12 week course on creativity. If the rest of the book proves as valuable as the portion I've so far completed, this could well be the most important book on writing that I've ever read. Watch this space. (You should know that this is subtitled A Spiritual Path to Greater Creativity and she uses the concept of God as a generic term for the external creative force she exhorts her students to connect with. As a committed agnostic, I initially struggled with this concept, but, having understood what she really means by it, I've managed to get over what could have been a block to learning some extraordinarily valuable lessons about myself and my creative spirit).

And, finally, for the purposes of this article, I've a selection of small books dealing with the vagaries of English as she is spoke or writ from across the pond.

American English English American is a small softback that lists the different words that are used for the same things in both versions of our common language. Useful when writing for the US market if you're from the UK, and vice versa, of course.

Christopher Davies' Divided by a Common Language deals quite comprehensively with the differences and similarities of the two versions of the language and is definitely worth a place in your library if you want to write for both sides of the pond.

The Little Red Writing Book, by Brandon Royal, expands on a list of 20 powerful principles of structure, style and readability as understood by US standards.

And, to end this list, The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr and E.B. White must be considered an essential guide for good writing aimed at US readers.

I haven't listed the many other reference books I've collected over the years, dealing with topics as diverse as symbolism, natural history and superstition, in more detail and allowing me to write with confidence on a wide range of subjects. I hope that simple enthusiasm for the subject is enough to ensure that writers will always arm themselves with such information.

So, these are some of the books that help me create my books. I'm sure writers and readers have their own lists. Perhaps you'd share your ideas here, by making a comment, so others can share and profit from your experience? Thank you.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: in or at?

So, do you write: ‘She’s in Australia.’ or ‘He’s at Melbourne.’?

Fowler, in his ‘Modern English Usage’, which, by the way, was first published in 1926 and (for my edition) last revised, with corrections, in 1974, has a little to say on this issue. He quotes the Oxford English Dictionary, that unquestionable authority on matters of English language, as suggesting that ‘at’ should be used of all towns except the capital and that in which the speaker dwells, if of any size. But he suggests that this is too narrow a usage and goes on to say that we now speak as readily of being ‘in’ any town as we do of being ‘at’ it. He goes on to say that any difference, if it actually exists, lies in the fact that ‘in’ suggests something being physically within, whilst ‘at’ does not. His given examples are as follows:

‘New College is in Oxford.’

'The new term at Oxford begins this week.’

And I have no argument with that analysis. However, it doesn’t really answer the question adequately and I wonder if it really comes down to a matter of taste.

I would never use ‘at’ to describe someone being in any town. Always preferring ‘in’ for this sort of sentence; thus:

‘I live in Driffield.’ ‘The Tower of London is in London.’  ‘Billy does his studying in Belfast.’

And I would generally use ‘at’ when referring to some place within the town; thus:

‘I shop at Driffield market.’  ‘Parliament sits at Westminster, London.’  ‘Billy studies at Belfast University.’

I hope this helps, but I suspect that both locally and globally there are colloquial takes on this usage. I suggest you adopt the form that most pleases your ear and hope that it doesn’t offend those of your readers.

Pic: A small valley in East Yorkshire, called Deep Dale.