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Pedants' corner
Original poster

Tautology

43 replies

Yamahahaha · 12/12/2025 12:44

This honestly isn't meant to be mean, but I've just read something on another thread which has really tickled me. Someone has described her ex and his new partner as just having had "two baby twins together".

Well obviously there are two of them if they're twins, obviously they are babies if they've just been born, and obviously (by the way it's described) the babies belong to both members of the couple. So of the four words, three are unnecessary.

Just thought that was a rather glorious example of textbook tautology which fellow pedants would appreciate.

OP posts:
titchy · 12/12/2025 13:22

Unless they had two sets of IVF twins implanted at the same time, in which case they mean two sets of twins, together as opposed to apart as they could have been part of separate pregnancies Grin

OilyRoundTheCogs · 12/12/2025 13:22

I winced at that one too OP!

Original poster
Yamahahaha · 12/12/2025 13:26

titchy · 12/12/2025 13:22

Unless they had two sets of IVF twins implanted at the same time, in which case they mean two sets of twins, together as opposed to apart as they could have been part of separate pregnancies Grin

Haha - yes, I guess so!

OP posts:
Original poster
Yamahahaha · 12/12/2025 13:29

OilyRoundTheCogs · 12/12/2025 13:22

I winced at that one too OP!

I think people are very much divided into those who don't notice this sort of thing at all and those who wince at every "alot", "should of", "had went", "I was laid in bed", "he's trousers" and "he sent it to my husband and I"...

OP posts:
Yourethebeerthief · 12/12/2025 14:01

Yamahahaha · 12/12/2025 13:29

I think people are very much divided into those who don't notice this sort of thing at all and those who wince at every "alot", "should of", "had went", "I was laid in bed", "he's trousers" and "he sent it to my husband and I"...

Show quote history

There’s a third category of those who notice it all and still don’t give a shit whatsoever. I can’t stop my brain from correcting grammatical errors when reading or listening to someone talking. But I don’t actually give a damn. It doesn’t annoy me and I never correct anyone.

Yourethebeerthief · 12/12/2025 14:02

Yamahahaha · 12/12/2025 13:29

I think people are very much divided into those who don't notice this sort of thing at all and those who wince at every "alot", "should of", "had went", "I was laid in bed", "he's trousers" and "he sent it to my husband and I"...

Show quote history

I like “he’s trousers” though. I’m choosing to read this as a way of describing someone crazy. “He’s absolutely trousers, he is!”

TheMotherSide · 12/12/2025 14:15

I'm in @Yourethebeerthief 's third category. Many people don't really give two hoots about how they write (often on their phones, in a hurry) on a public forum; funny little autocorrects slip through the net, apostrophes fly under the radar, spelling mistakes just don't seem particularly significant, even if spotted, when we can all get the general gist of what is being expressed. What's the point in flexing one's grammatical prowess when it's neither directly instructional or constructive? Pedants' Corner has got to be one of the most inherently smug places on the internet -harmless, of course, but insufferably smug nonetheless.

Original poster
Yamahahaha · 12/12/2025 14:20

Yourethebeerthief · 12/12/2025 14:02

I like “he’s trousers” though. I’m choosing to read this as a way of describing someone crazy. “He’s absolutely trousers, he is!”

Show quote history

Excellent - love it!

OP posts:
DeanStockwell · 12/12/2025 14:25

I know someone that claimed to be very well educated and ( he says ) is often ask to speak at weddings / conferences and such like .
But often says things like
"I won't do nothing"
When he means he will do nothing
"It's going ten to the dozen "
When he means it's going fast
He also insist that 'whole' is pronounce with a hard W so it sounds like wole.

Pedant5corner · 12/12/2025 14:34

Speak for yourself, @TheMotherSide.

ErrolTheDragon · 12/12/2025 14:40

TheMotherSide · 12/12/2025 14:15

I'm in @Yourethebeerthief 's third category. Many people don't really give two hoots about how they write (often on their phones, in a hurry) on a public forum; funny little autocorrects slip through the net, apostrophes fly under the radar, spelling mistakes just don't seem particularly significant, even if spotted, when we can all get the general gist of what is being expressed. What's the point in flexing one's grammatical prowess when it's neither directly instructional or constructive? Pedants' Corner has got to be one of the most inherently smug places on the internet -harmless, of course, but insufferably smug nonetheless.

Yes, it’s a smuggery, useful for keeping our whinges (and occasional serious discussions about grammar and etymology) off other threads. It’s particularly pleasing when Muphry’s Law prevails of course.

Original poster
Yamahahaha · 12/12/2025 15:27

TheMotherSide · 12/12/2025 14:15

I'm in @Yourethebeerthief 's third category. Many people don't really give two hoots about how they write (often on their phones, in a hurry) on a public forum; funny little autocorrects slip through the net, apostrophes fly under the radar, spelling mistakes just don't seem particularly significant, even if spotted, when we can all get the general gist of what is being expressed. What's the point in flexing one's grammatical prowess when it's neither directly instructional or constructive? Pedants' Corner has got to be one of the most inherently smug places on the internet -harmless, of course, but insufferably smug nonetheless.

Well no-one's forcing you to read any of the threads in Pedants' Corner and tbh you sound slightly smug yourself that you're not bothered by grammatical errors.

It's hardly "flexing" to know that "should of" is completely wrong.

OP posts:
Original poster
Yamahahaha · 12/12/2025 15:29

DeanStockwell · 12/12/2025 14:25

I know someone that claimed to be very well educated and ( he says ) is often ask to speak at weddings / conferences and such like .
But often says things like
"I won't do nothing"
When he means he will do nothing
"It's going ten to the dozen "
When he means it's going fast
He also insist that 'whole' is pronounce with a hard W so it sounds like wole.

Presumably he's asked...

What do you think "ten to the dozen" means?

I agree pronouncing "whole" as "woke" is idiocy.

OP posts:
OilyRoundTheCogs · 12/12/2025 15:55

What do you think "ten to the dozen" means?

Well it certainly doesn't mean going fast, I think they mean 19 to the dozen (which does).

Original poster
Yamahahaha · 12/12/2025 16:34

OilyRoundTheCogs · 12/12/2025 15:55

What do you think "ten to the dozen" means?

Well it certainly doesn't mean going fast, I think they mean 19 to the dozen (which does).

Haha - yes, of course! 19, not ten.

OP posts:
Catpiece · 12/12/2025 16:42

DeanStockwell · 12/12/2025 14:25

I know someone that claimed to be very well educated and ( he says ) is often ask to speak at weddings / conferences and such like .
But often says things like
"I won't do nothing"
When he means he will do nothing
"It's going ten to the dozen "
When he means it's going fast
He also insist that 'whole' is pronounce with a hard W so it sounds like wole.

“I won’t do nothing” means he will do SOMETHING 😀

DeanStockwell · 12/12/2025 16:42

@Yamahahaha
Going ten to the dozen actual means going slow(er)

If I take 10 steps in half a minute and you take a dozen steps in the same time I am going slower.
@OilyRoundTheCogs is correct.

Catpiece · 12/12/2025 16:44

Ten to the dozen means faster. Don’t ask me why it just does. One I hate is “return back”

DeanStockwell · 12/12/2025 16:44

Catpiece · 12/12/2025 16:42

“I won’t do nothing” means he will do SOMETHING 😀

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Yep , but you want to try explaining that to him , it'll give you a headache 🙄

Catpiece · 12/12/2025 16:44

Is it 19? Sozza x

Original poster
Yamahahaha · 12/12/2025 16:45

DeanStockwell · 12/12/2025 16:42

@Yamahahaha
Going ten to the dozen actual means going slow(er)

If I take 10 steps in half a minute and you take a dozen steps in the same time I am going slower.
@OilyRoundTheCogs is correct.

Some sources seem to say that ten to the dozen is a recognised variant, but when not suffering a brain fart I would always say 19 to the dozen (which is of course more logical).

OP posts:
Catpiece · 12/12/2025 16:45

DeanStockwell · 12/12/2025 16:44

Yep , but you want to try explaining that to him , it'll give you a headache 🙄

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It’s a double negative isn’t it x

ginasevern · 12/12/2025 16:46

I'm definitely a wincer. I'm not on any other social media, so MN has been an eye opener for me with regards to spelling and grammar.

Original poster
Yamahahaha · 12/12/2025 16:46

Catpiece · 12/12/2025 16:44

Ten to the dozen means faster. Don’t ask me why it just does. One I hate is “return back”

Or "revert back", which a certain breed of solicitor seems to love.

OP posts:
DeanStockwell · 12/12/2025 16:50

Catpiece · 12/12/2025 16:45

It’s a double negative isn’t it x

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Yes and I have tried telling him that but he says it just means no twice = definitely not .