Pleocircumlocutionasm

[emmline]

The Dictionary.com word of the day surprised me this morning.
Does this word not sound like an oncologist had tee many martoonies at lunch, before trying to describe a tumor?

Word of the Day for Wednesday, May 31, 2006

pleonasm \PLEE-uh-naz-uhm\, noun:

1. The use of more words than are necessary to express an idea; as, "I saw it with my own eyes."
2. An instance or example of pleonasm.
3. A superfluous word or expression.


Dougan uses many words where few would do, as if pleonasm were a way of wringing every possibility out of the material he has, and stretching sentences a form of spreading the word.
-- Paula Cocozza, "Book review: How Dynamo Kiev beat the Luftwaffe", Independent, March 2, 2001

Such a phrase from President Nixon's era, much favored by politicians, is "at this moment in time." Presumably these five words mean "now." That pleonasm probably does little harm except, perhaps, to the reputation of the speaker.
-- Eoin McKiernan, "Last Word: Special Relationships", Irish America, August 31, 1994

Pleonasm is from Greek pleonasmos, from pleon, "greater, more."

[Bloomfield]

The Dictionary.com word of the day surprised me this morning.
Does this word not sound like an oncologist had tee many martoonies at lunch, before trying to describe a tumor?

Word of the Day for Wednesday, May 31, 2006

pleonasm \PLEE-uh-naz-uhm\, noun:

1. The use of more words than are necessary to express an idea; as, "I saw it with my own eyes."
2. An instance or example of pleonasm.
3. A superfluous word or expression.


Dougan uses many words where few would do, as if pleonasm were a way of wringing every possibility out of the material he has, and stretching sentences a form of spreading the word.
-- Paula Cocozza, "Book review: How Dynamo Kiev beat the Luftwaffe", Independent, March 2, 2001

Such a phrase from President Nixon's era, much favored by politicians, is "at this moment in time." Presumably these five words mean "now." That pleonasm probably does little harm except, perhaps, to the reputation of the speaker.
-- Eoin McKiernan, "Last Word: Special Relationships", Irish America, August 31, 1994

Pleonasm is from Greek pleonasmos, from pleon, "greater, more."

Some of us have used it on the chiffboard before. *cough, cough

[emmline]

Some of us have used it on the chiffboard before. *cough, cough

Others of us don't read Bloomfield's every word. *hack, hack.

[Nanohedron]

Pleonasm. A smarmy-sounding word to denote an unnecessarily redundant tautology.

That sort of thing might hold up in poetry, anyway. You never know when the meter might be in the balance and a good pleonasm'll save the day.

[Bloomfield]

Some of us have used it on the chiffboard before. *cough, cough

Others of us don't read Bloomfield's every word. *hack, hack.

[rh]

Some of us have used it on the chiffboard before. *cough, cough

http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php ... t=pleonasm

Oh, blessed pleonasm.

i had a pleonasm once, but a quick visit to the surgeon took care of it.

[djm]

So this would be Charles Dickens' middle name?

djm

[jsluder]

So this would be Charles Dickens' middle name?

Middle and second.

[emmline]

Well, if the Chiffboard were ever NOT way ahead of me then the Mississippi would flow north, the polar ice caps would melt, and there'd be more than one Spillane in circulation.
I guess all's well.

[Dale]

The Dictionary.com word of the day surprised me this morning.
Does this word not sound like an oncologist had tee many martoonies at lunch, before trying to describe a tumor?

Word of the Day for Wednesday, May 31, 2006

pleonasm \PLEE-uh-naz-uhm\, noun:

1. The use of more words than are necessary to express an idea; as, "I saw it with my own eyes."
2. An instance or example of pleonasm.
3. A superfluous word or expression.


Dougan uses many words where few would do, as if pleonasm were a way of wringing every possibility out of the material he has, and stretching sentences a form of spreading the word.
-- Paula Cocozza, "Book review: How Dynamo Kiev beat the Luftwaffe", Independent, March 2, 2001

Such a phrase from President Nixon's era, much favored by politicians, is "at this moment in time." Presumably these five words mean "now." That pleonasm probably does little harm except, perhaps, to the reputation of the speaker.
-- Eoin McKiernan, "Last Word: Special Relationships", Irish America, August 31, 1994

Pleonasm is from Greek pleonasmos, from pleon, "greater, more."

Some of us have used it on the chiffboard before. *cough, cough

At this particular juncture in time, to the best of my recollection, I myself do not remember you writing anything about this specific vocabulary word.

[jsluder]

Gilligan was a master pleonast, and he used more words than necessary, too.

[Denny]

Well, if the Chiffboard were ever NOT way ahead of me then the Mississippi would flow north, the polar ice caps would melt, and there'd be more than one Spillane in circulation.
I guess all's well.

careful with the ice caps...

[fearfaoin]

Never use a large word when a diminutive one would suffice.

I shall cease and dissist, now.


Edit: I shall learn how to spell desist, at this juncture.

[gonzo914]

At this particular juncture in time, to the best of my recollection, I do not remember you writing anything about this specific vocabulary word.

If you search on "pleonasm Bloomfield," you get five posts.

Two are in this thread.

One is when someone else quoted him.

One is Bloomfield correcting someone else's spelling of "pleonasm."

And my personal favorite, one in which Bloomfield writes "Oh, blessed pleonasm." I didn't read it all, but it looks like some kind of ode or hymn to pleonasms. Possible a paeon. I should have read it all the way through.

[jim stone]

George Orwell said, about writing prose:
'Never use two words when one will do.'
Man, did that improve my writing!