For further information text REDUNDANT

I was handed this leaflet in the street earlier in the week:

What I really like is the sentence in bold: "For further information text REDUNDANT to 60777". Talk about salt in the wound!

Why not ask people to text in something more positive such as 'TRAINING' or 'SKILLS'?

Ryan Adams twice?

About a year ago I wrote about how the film title Alvin and the Chipmunks implied that Alvin wasn't a chipmunk.

On a similar theme: I recently bought an album, Cardinology, by Ryan Adams & The Cardinals. (I know; don't judge me.)

The CD packaging states: "The Cardinals are Ryan Adams, Neal Casal, Chris Feinstein, Jon Graboff and Brad Pemberton".

So if Ryan Adams is a member of The Cardinals, surely it's redundant to say Ryan Adams & The Cardinals?

Admittedly, saying that the album is by The Cardinals (including Ryan Adams) sounds a little odd.

A Grumpy Old Man rails against journalese

Thought I would share this, from Grumpy Old Men, the Official Handbook by Stuart Prebble:

Recently I heard a reporter referring to a burglar's 'fatal error' in leaving his DNA at the scene, and found myself muttering, 'Who died?' People are always doing everything 'at this moment in time' rather than 'now'. No report is anything other than 'in-depth'. No insight is less than 'profound'. No crisis anything less than 'serious' – what kind of crisis isn't serious? Every problem is 'spiralling out of control'. Every fire is a 'blaze'. Every rescue is 'heroic'. Every death from cancer follows 'a brave struggle'. Every day when a tragedy occurred was 'that fateful day'. No report is less than 'damning'.

Tautologies: 'close proximity'

I've just realised that the common phrase 'close proximity' is actually a tautology. After all, 'proximity' means "nearness in space, time or relationship" (Concise OED), so 'close proximity' is akin to 'close nearness'.

Should I, as a sub, remove 'close proximity' from copy? On the one hand, it is tautological and more verbose than 'proximity', 'nearness' and 'closeness'; on the other, it is in common use and probably offends few people.

Feeling tense(s): launch of a new product

All the subs I know have grown used to writers reporting "the launch of a new product" and, until they become worn down and cynical, have taken the time to explain (gently or not) to the writers concerned that if it ain't new you can't launch it.

All the writers for the magazine whose engine room JD and I inhabit (and why doesn't 'which' have a possessive form, by the way?) have been lectured on this silly redundancy. But bless 'em, they can't resist it – the latest example arrived today, fresh from the keyboard of our generally admirable editor.

Will I explain it to him again? Will I remind our charges yet again that "making plans for the future" also contains a redundancy as you can't easily make plans for the past?

JD certainly would, but he's half my age and has yet to become as worn down and cynical as me (but you will, chum... you will).