Climb to the top, today, swim in the water… Three examples of expressions called 'pleonasms' which are used on a daily basis orally and in writing but which often make lovers of the French language cringe.
Un pleonasm is a figure of speech where the expression of an idea is either reinforced or clarified by the addition of one or more words which are not necessary to the grammatical meaning of the sentence, and which are synonymous. In other words, it is simply a repetition of terms or expressions having the same meaning. Often used to create a stylistic effect, pleonasm is often considered abusive and therefore unpopular.
The French academy, however, distinguishes the figure of speech from vicious pleonasm:
\nEn rhetoric, a figure by which we redouble an expression to strengthen it. Examples: “I saw it with my eyes, heard it with my ears” are accepted and very common pleonasms.
Conversely, when the pleonasm adds nothing to the force or grace of the discourse, it is vicious : “Go up to the top” and “Go down to the bottom” are pleonasms.
The opposite of pleonasm is oxymoron, which we will develop in a future section. _Vx
Non-exhaustive list of pleonasms to avoid
• Today (you should know that today is already a pleonasm in itself, “today” means “on this day”
\n• Go outside
\n• Go inside
\n• Another alternative
\n• Turn out to be true
\n• Go down
\n• Go up
\n• Continue again
\n• Turn on the light
\n• Very shortly
\n• Currently in progress
\n• To the maximum
\n• From now on
\n• A double alternative
\n• For example
\n• Finally, to conclude
\n• Push back till later
\n• Collaborate together
\n• Final goal
\n• Commemorate a birthday
\n• To scream loudly
\n• Draw designs
\n• Two twins
\n• Take with you
\n• Past experience
\n• However
\n• Swim in water
\n• See with your eyes
\n• Quickly hurry up
\n• Last long
\n• Mutual assistance
\n• Pilot experience
\n• Win a victory
\n• Veto
\n• Absolute perfection
\n• Gust of wind
\n• Start again…
https://faxinfo.fr/en/rubrique-ortograf-orthographe-quelques-astuces-pour-eviter-les-pleonasmes/
