Two-word tautologies

[MoleAtTheCounter]

Past history
Free gift
Aromatic smell
Mass exodus (a BBC favourite)

Please post more examples.

I think there can be degrees of inaccuracy.

Dead corpse

I don't know. That one gets a pass from me. I suppose it's useful to know whether an estimate or projection of rainfall/Covid cases etc is out by 2% or more like 80%?

Completely devoid?

What is the issue with this? Isn't it used to describe reserving something that is not yet available to buy?

"Vitally important" isn't tautological, because "important" isn't an extreme adjective. It's only extreme adjectives that can't be modified. Fundamental/vital/essential/unique etc. (That's why "very unique" is wrong)

"Hence why" is obviously just wrong however, and used by people who don't know the meaning of hence.

Submitting a tax return that is inaccurate by a few pence will be treated different to one that is out by thousands of pounds.

Yes, I was thinking about that one. Something can be 1% inaccurate (a written exercise with a spelling mistake) or 99% inaccurate (hardly anything is written correctly)

I agree that pre-order is OK as well.

Added bonus

OMG that would give me the rage!

Pre order means order before it's generally available.

It has a helpful and distinct meaning.

Oh come on, there are huge degrees of inaccuracy, from a typo to that didn't happen.

Nobody says dead corpse. It's dead body, or corpse.

Some things are much more important than others.

Yes, I think this is fine, too. You can pre-order books before their publication date on Amazon, for instance. 'Order' to me implies that the object already exists and is available, whereas 'pre-order' is a slightly separate category, and may take far longer to arrive.

Return back

Not sure I agree. Something can be slightly inaccurate, eg, she has four children when she has three, or inaccurate by a very long way, eg she has twelve children when she has three.

Pre-book

Bare naked.

It’s not a Mumsnet thing, but it seems to be a thing where I live.

'you can't just turn up to Centre Parcs and expect to eat in their restaurants, you really need to pre book'

You book before you even go on holiday. Pre travel.

My personal (opinion)

@MorrisZapp to be pedantic - it doesn't matter whether anyone says dead corpse or not. It's still a two word tautology.

two-word

@MorrisZapp , if you book something, you are doing it it in advance, so the pre- is unnecessary.

The Americans say butt naked. It's an intensifier, to suggest a degree of shamelessness, humour or inappropriateness.

You don't have a shower bare naked. But you might accidentally be caught bare naked by the delivery man.