Tautology

From the book Armed Gunmen, True Facts and Other Ridiculous Nonsense (comments by Mental Floss.com)

• “False pretense”
If pretense is “the act of alleging falsely,” as Dictionary.com asserts, then wouldn’t a false pretense be … true?

• “Advance warning”
A warning delivered after the fact is known, I believe, as “Monday morning quarterbacking.”

• “Convicted felon”
If we’re guilty until proven innocent, there shouldn’t be too many convictionless felons running around.

• “Surviving widow”
Kallan defines it thusly: “The last woman standing in an all-widow game of Russian roulette.”

• “Fall down”
Gravity tends to make this modifier unnecessary.

• “All throughout”
More pervasive than occasionally throughout.

• “Close proximity”
As opposed to a distant proximity?

• “Sum total”
This really gets the point across … and then sum.

• “Shared dialogue”
When was the last time you heard a shared monologue?

• “Mass exodus”
When everyone leaves church at the same time? And speaking of church …

• “Holy Bible”
I’m so tired of these unholy Bibles.