51吃瓜 of the Day
pleonasm
noun
the use of more words than are necessary to express an idea; redundancy.
More about pleonasm
Pleonasm, 鈥渢he use of more words than are necessary to express an idea; redundancy,鈥� may be annoying or foolish, as in 鈥渇ree gift鈥� or 鈥渢rue fact,鈥� but not so in emphatic expressions such as 鈥淚 saw it with my own eyes.鈥� Pleonasm comes via Late Latin pleonasmus (where it is only a term in rhetoric), from Greek 辫濒别辞苍补蝉尘贸蝉 鈥渞edundancy, surplus, superabundance, (rhetoric) use of redundant words, lengthening of clauses, repetition,鈥� a derivative of 辫濒别辞苍谩锄别颈苍 鈥渢o be or have more than enough,鈥� which is itself derivative of 辫濒别铆艒苍, the comparative degree of 辫辞濒媒蝉 鈥渕uch, many.鈥� Pleonasm entered English in the early 17th century.
how is pleonasm used?
Federal foreign policy is a pleonasm. What foreign policy can a federal nation have except a national policy?
Like most writers, I can be a stickler about language, but anyone who hangs out with me for long enough will learn that I favor a certain ungrammatical turn of phrase: 鈥渢rue fact.鈥� Technically speaking, that expression is a pleonasm鈥攁 redundant description鈥攕ince all facts are, by definition, true.
pleonasm
Panglossian
adjective
characterized by or given to extreme optimism, especially in the face of unrelieved hardship or adversity.
More about Panglossian
Panglossian, 鈥渆xtremely optimistic, especially in the face of unrelieved hardship or adversity,鈥� comes from Dr. Pangloss (Panglosse in French), an old, incurably optimistic tutor in Voltaire鈥檚 philosophical satire Candide. Pangloss comes from Greek 辫补苍驳濒辞蝉蝉铆补 鈥済arrulousness, wordiness,鈥� which also may suggest a certain amount of glibness. Candide, the name of the eponymous hero, comes from Latin candidus 鈥渂right, shining, pure, clean, good-natured, innocent,鈥� perhaps also a comment on the hero鈥檚 naivet茅. Panglossian entered English in the first half of the 19th century.
how is Panglossian used?
Kraft sets to work making a case for Panglossian optimism while his marriage crumbles and his money problems worsen.
Burnett had developed a Panglossian confidence in the power of branding. 鈥淚 believe we鈥檙e going to see something like the Microsoft Grand Canyon National Park,鈥� he told the New York聽Times聽in 2001.
Panglossian
honcho
noun
a leader, especially an assertive leader.
More about honcho
Honcho is mostly an American term, entering the language in 1945, toward the end of World War II. It comes from Japanese 丑补苍肠丑艒 鈥渟quad leader, group leader鈥� and was picked up by American prisoners of war in the POW camps.
how is honcho used?
As head honcho of the nation’s most prestigious newspaper, all eyes will be on her, especially considering her status as the paper’s first female executive editor in its 160-year history.聽
You know, I know she鈥檚 the head honcho, and no one is calling her that. She deserves to be called that, doesn鈥檛 she?
honcho