A Trusted Friend in a Complicated World

15 Redundant Words That Make You Sound Ignorant

'New Scientist' writer Stanley Newman coined the term “RAS syndrome” in 2001 as a diagnosis for anyone who adds an extra word to the end of common acronyms like “ATM machine” (Automatic Teller Machine machine), making the whole phrase redundant and repetitive. You’ll be surprised how often examples of Repetitive Acronym Syndrome come up.

1 / 15
Reader's Digest

Don’t say: “PIN number”

“PIN number” translates to Personal Identification Number number. Using these 26 words makes you sound stupid.

2 / 15
Reader's Digest

Don’t say: “LCD display”

“LCD display” translates to Liquid Crystal Display display.

3 / 15
Reader's Digest

Don’t say: “PDF format”

“PDF format” translates to Portable Document Format format. Follow these 41 grammar rules to sound smarter.

4 / 15
Reader's Digest

Don’t say: “ICBM missile”

“ICBM missile” translates to Intercontinental Ballistic Missile missile.

5 / 15
Reader's Digest

Don’t say: “ISBN number”

“ISBN number” translates to International Standard Book Number number. These are the 11 most hilarious newspaper typos ever printed.

6 / 15
Reader's Digest

Don’t say: “SAT test”

“SAT test” translates to Scholastic Aptitude Test test.

7 / 15
Reader's Digest

Don’t say: “GRE exam”

“GRE exam” translates to Graduate Record Examination examination. Here’s why using big words doesn’t make you sound smart.

8 / 15
Reader's Digest

Don’t say: “VIN number”

“VIN number” translates to Vehicle Identification Number number.

9 / 15
Reader's Digest

Don’t say: “UPC code”

“UPC code” translates to Universal Product Code code.

10 / 15
Reader's Digest

Don’t say: “GOP party”

“GOP party” translates to Grand Old party party. These funny autocorrect fails will make you LOL.

11 / 15
Reader's Digest

Don’t say: “ATM machine”

“ATM machine” translates to Automatic Teller Machine machine.

12 / 15
Reader's Digest

Don’t say: “CNN news network”

“CNN news network” translates to Cable News Network news network.

13 / 15
Reader's Digest

Don’t say: “AC current” / “DC current”

“AC current” / “DC current” translates to Alternating Current current / Direct Current current. These are the 10 most annoying phrases in the English language.

14 / 15
Reader's Digest

Don’t say: “DMZ zone”

“DMZ zone” translates to Demilitarized Zone zone.

15 / 15
Reader's Digest

Don’t say: “Please RSVP”

“Please RSVP” translates to Please Respond Please (RSVP is short for the French, répondez s’il vous plaît). These are the 11 words and phrases smart people never, ever use.