Another Redundancy Lesson

English is rather inconsistent when it comes to idioms. Last two panels.

I admit, this is an old joke. The correct answer, though, is to be consistent by saying just “tuna sandwich.”

Subscribe to this blog's RSS feed

It’s a pretty minor point of grammar…

“Where” is slightly better then “at which.”

Here’s the comic. Panel 1:

Using adjectives to modify verbs is common, so I didn’t notice this until a commenter pointed it out. She should have said “…heal more slowly.” After all, she teaches English.

Um, same mistake in panel 3.

Use “if” when you set a condition for something; use “whether” when you give someone a choice. “Whether” implies “or not.” So when recruiters say “tell me if you’re interested,” you don’t have to reply if you aren’t interested. If they say “Tell me whether you’re interested,” they want you to actually tell them yes or no.

These kids understand this.

‘Nuff said.

Most people say “from whence.” Maybe from remembering the lines in the high school play that has Rumpelstiltskin saying “No one knows from whence I came, or that Rumpelstiltskin is my name.”

Be that as it may, “whence” means “from where,” so “from whence” is a solecism—an extra word.

Last panel:

Good for her!