tomeubanks.com

                                            
       I have favorite words I like to use. The problem with some of my favorite words is that when I use them I wonder how many readers know their definition.  So I thought I'd occasionally list a few with a definition and examples.  Starting right now....

                                tautological

        Needless repetition of the same sense in different words; redundancy.
                 
        "Either it will rain tomorrow or it won't rain tomorrow" is a tautological statement.  
                        
        Some of the dumbest tautological expressions:

        free gift - I can't recall receiving a gift and paying for it.  I don't know about you, but if I receive an invoice or I'm asked to fork over money, I kind of consider the exchange a purchase!  I don't know; maybe it's just me.

        over-exaggerate -  "exaggerate" means "overstate," so "over-exaggerate" means "over  overstate."   The only person who should use this word is a stutterer.  I can live with that.  Otherwise, please just exaggerate when around me.  Got it?  Stutter or exaggerate.  Those are the choices.
  
        new innovation - heck, I'd love to get back to those old innovations.  "Innovation" is defined as something new, for crying out loud.  So a "new" innovation means what?  I came up with something new but just when I created it, bang! I instantly created something newer.  Dumb.

        planning ahead - is there any other way to plan?  I never seem to have the opportunity to plan my past.  

        added bonus - a favorite of the TV marketing idiots. "Bonus" is an added extra, thus "added bonus" is actually "added added extra."  Leave this one for the stutterers!

        And my personal favorite example of a tautological expression:

        short summary - a favorite of agents and editors.  I don't know about you, but I just couldn't finish my epic summary.  Hello! "Summary" is a "shortened" version of a text.  So what the heck's a "short summary"?  It's how an agent or editor emphasizes how dad-blasted busy they are and how they just don't have the time to read a whole bunch of words.  I can just hear the Agent: "So don't write too many words in that summary, because if you write too many words in your summary and I'm really, really busy that day, I might just consider it a long summary and not even finish it."

        I'll occasionally drop another favorite word into the blogosphere.  If you have one of your own, please share it in the comments.  I love learning new words.

        Onward!  Or how about, On, Word!