The Department of Redundancy Department Quiz

Answer: Long

Hares are known to have long ears (normally even longer than rabbits). Saying "long-eared hare" is definitely redundancy. One could use this sentence to try to mean a hare with especially long ears, but the sentence does not specify that so it is still redundant.

Answer: Wet

Marshes are a kind of wetland. All marshes are wet. Thus, the sentence (if filled in with "wet") is redundant because marshes are already defined as wet, so you don't have to describe a marsh as wet again.

Answer: The Englishman was from England.

An Englishman is a person from England. Thus, "The Englishman was from England" is basically saying "The person from England was from England" which is clearly redundant. The others are not redundant because they do not contain superfluous information.

Answer: The salary was an added bonus.

Added bonus is redundancy. A bonus is already an added piece, so adding added to that makes it redundant. Even if there are two parts and the salary is simply an unimportant bonus compared to the first payment, added bonus is a redundant phrase nonetheless.

Answer: Many weeks

For a number of days is redundant because days is already plural and "a number of" does not help to specify the amount. Past record is redundant because a record is something from the past. Usual routine is redundant because routines are something done on a usual basis. Thus, many weeks is the only one which is not redundant.

Answer: Small footsteps

A mistake is something done accidentally, so "accidental mistake" is redundant. Planning means to think ahead, so "plan ahead" is also redundant. To be sure is to be definite, so "definitely sure" is also redundant. Thus, only "small footsteps" is not redundant.

Answer: Four

Expensive limousine is redundant because limousines are expensive cars. Smart genius is also redundant because genius means somebody who is smart. Parisians are from Paris (Parisian does not refer to other cities known as "Paris" except for Paris, France), which is in France, so Parisian from France is redundant as well. Free gift is redundant because gifts are always free. That's four redundant phrases in all.

Answer: Three

Tall skyscraper is redundant because skyscrapers are tall buildings. As said in an earlier question, added bonus is also a redundant phrase. 1 p.m. in the afternoon is redundant because the "p.m." already says that this is past noon. In all, there are three redundant phrases.

Answer: Neither of them

Neither of the two phrases is redundant. Trees aren't necessarily tall so "tall tree" is not redundant. Also, volumes (in the book sense, not the 3-D space or the sound sense) are not necessarily large as they mean books in general (though normally books in a series or collection).

Answer: The reason why ...

"The reason why" is a redundant phrases because when you give a reason, it is always the answer to a "why" question. Thus, this is redundant. "He descended into the" is not redundant because descended does not always mean descending into something. If it were "he descended down", it would be redundant because "descend" means to go down (not to go into).