“Omit needless words!” But not all of them
When and why redundancy can be useful in writing and speech
“PLEASE RETURN your tray tables to their full upright and locked position.” “Remember to take all of your personal belongings with you when you leave the train.” Something about writing announcements for public transport seems to bring out the wordiness in people. These instructions can be shortened to “Please put your trays up” and “Please take your things.”
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This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “More is more”
From the March 18th 2023 edition
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