8 Real (and Perceived) Redundant Words
This article’s got a little something something for everyone.
Constructions like “naan bread” and “ATM machine” often scorch the haggises of some readers due to their real or perceived redundancy, but as a descriptive dictionary, we refrain from such tsk-tsking. In other words, our haggises are evenly cooked.
When English users borrow a word from another language they sometimes place it before an existing and similar word. Thus naan, which comes nān, meaning “bread” in both Hindi and Urdu, often gets put before the word bread. (Brioche does as well, though its French forebear does not translate directly to “bread,” the French equivalent of “bread” being pain.) But since the English naan does not mean “bread,” “naan bread” doesn’t actually mean “bread bread.”
“ATM machine” (effectively “automated teller machine machine”) on the other hand, represents a true tautology, with tautology defined as “needless repetition of an idea, statement or word or an instance of such repetition.” Abbreviations and acronyms are fertile ground for tautologies, but even so, they made lead us to ask: is such repetition truly needless? Or needless to everyone, in every context or circumstance?
The following is a list of eight pairs of words commonly invoked as redundancies, whether true or no. (Does “ahi tuna” really equal “tuna tuna” and does “shrimp scampi” equal “shrimp shrimp”? What do you think?) Each pair is accompanied by quotations from the same publication showing both the single word and its “redundant” version, perhaps illustrating that when it comes to language, there’s more than one way to heat a haggis.
Naan Definition: a round flat leavened bread especially of the Indian subcontinent [from Hindi and Urdu nān, “bread”]
Delhi’s residents will trek across the city just for the Afghan restaurants, and for a taste of the thick, steaming ovals of naan bread baked in the numerous Afghan bakeries in the neighbourhood.
— Hannah Ellis-Petersen, The Guardian (London), 25 Aug. 2021The scent of cardamom rice, grilled kebabs and freshly baked naan wrapped around us like a memory.
— Shadi Khan Saif, The Guardian (London), 15 Aug. 2025
UPC Definition: Universal Product Code
The recalled products can be identified by their label, model number and UPC code …
— The Associated Press, 4 Apr. 2024The model and UPC numbers are printed on the nameplate located on the right side of the boiler.
— The Associated Press, 18 May 2018
Chai Definition: a beverage that is a blend of black tea, honey, spices, and milk [from Turkish çay and Russian, Persian, Hindi, & Urdu chay, meaning “tea”]
It can be tempting to start the day with a pumpkin spice latte with a loaf of pumpkin spice bread. And then maybe later, enjoy a chai tea and finish up the day with a slice of pumpkin pie.
— Delaney Nothaft, USA Today, 27 Sept. 2023The job let him spend long hours drinking chai with Pashtun elders.
— Chris Kenning, USA Today, 3 Sept. 2024
PIN Definition: personal identification number
Make sure your phone can only be accessed with a PIN number or fingerprint. If you use a PIN number to open your phone in a public place, always protect it from view.
— Ron Hurtibise, The South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 12 May 2023Check your surroundings before withdrawing cash from an ATM. If there is someone suspicious nearby, find a different ATM. And always cover the keypad when you enter your PIN.
— Rick Steves, The South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 8 Dec. 2019
Scampi Definition: a usually large shrimp; also : large shrimp prepared with a garlic-flavored sauce [from the Italian scampo, referring to a European lobster]
Shrimp scampi with bruschetta has plump, juicy crustaceans and grilled bread to soak up the buttery wine sauce.
— Sheryl Julian, The Boston Globe, 4 Aug. 2024Settle in, drink a beer, and let Roberta Flack help you decide whether to get tuna tartare, wings, or scampi.
— Kara Baskin, The Boston Globe, 25 Feb. 2024
LCD Definition: an electronic display (as of the time in a digital watch) that consists of segments of a liquid crystal whose reflectivity varies according to the voltage applied to them [short for “liquid crystal display”]
The iPhone 11 features an LCD display.
— Keith Wagstaff, Mashable, 6 Oct. 2020This 4K UHD TV runs on Toshiba's Regza Engine to serve up crisp images on its LCD panel, which offers clear, bright hues thanks to HDR and HDR10 support and immersive audio.
— Brittany Vincent, Mashable, 12 June 2025
Ahi Definition: a nearly cosmopolitan tuna (Thunnus albacares) with yellowish fins or a large-eyed tuna (Thunnus obesus) that has long pectoral fins and often a bluish stripe on the side and is found in warm ocean waters worldwide [from Hawaiian ʽahi]
… tourists packed high-end galleries and shoreline restaurants that offered sunset meals of ahi tuna and taro.
— Mike Baker and Tim Arango, The New York Times, 5 Aug. 2024Red fish are in demand as the new year looms; they’re the color of luck. Local TV anchors report ahi prices as breaking news.
— Ligaya Mishan, The New York Times, 23 Jan. 2022
ATM Definition: a computerized electronic machine that performs basic banking functions (such as handling check deposits or issuing cash withdrawals) [short for “automated teller machine” or “automatic teller machine”]
Civil servants said they hadn’t been paid for at least three months. ATM machines were still operating, but withdrawals were limited to about $200 every 24 hours.
— John Wilkens and Andrew Dyer, The Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2021Los Angeles police are looking for two men who stole an ATM in broad daylight downtown on Thursday.
— Summer Lin, The Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025
