Perhaps I should change the name of this blog to “Pleonasm Today,” or something similar.

I’m becoming disenchanted with NPR.

I admit, I listen to Morning Edition most days.  I guess that means that, if I listen critically, I’m bound to hear more mistakes from those folks than from things I listen to less.

Yet, I can’t help feeling that NPR should be the flagship for grammar and usage.  I hope for — I look for — erudition.  It is unfortunate that NPR comes up short so often.

During a story about Aaron Neville this morning, I heard:  “At 72, the prince of R&B has reverted back to his childhood.”

It is interesting indeed that NPR edited the written story on its website:  “At 72, the prince of R&B has reverted to childhood.”  Yet, NPR is a radio network, de facto specializing in the written word.  I wonder how many folks get information from the website.  Hence, NPR should be editing its stories before they air.  It is sad that this is often not the case.

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thefreedictionary.com tells us:

revert

vb [rɪˈvɜːt] (intr; foll by to)

1. to go back to a former practice, condition, belief, etc. she reverted to her old wicked ways

***

Usage: Since back is part of the meaning of revert, one should not say that someone reverts back to a certain type of behavior.

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That seems pretty simple.

Let us call for NPR to put itself in a position of leadership on usage issues and get out in front of the mistakes.

When I listen to people speak on radio and television, perhaps the thing that affects me the most, in terms of use and abuse of our language, is pleonasm.

The “dictionary.reference.com” definition:

ple·o·nasm [plee–uh-naz-uh m]

noun

1.  the use of more words than are necessary to express an idea; redundancy.

2.  an instance of this, as free gift  or true fact.

3.  a redundant word or expression.

Again, I wonder if these days anyone in the media edits copy before it is aired.

Even at my favorite television show, CBS Sunday Morning, there seems to be an apparent lack of concern about how we express even the simplest ideas.

I found this at the CBS Sunday Morning site from today’s show – in a story about the Chevrolet Corvette:

“That Corvette idea though, had a champion:  its legendary chief engineer, Zora Duntov.  He persuaded Chevy to replace its standard inline six with a V-8 instead, and the Corvette was soon tearing up the track.”

I cannot imagine why anyone would feel it is appropriate to use the words “replace” and “instead” to express the same idea.

Then, on the same show, in a subsequent story about Notre Dame linebacker, Manti Te’o, the reporter stated that (I’m paraphrasing), “his grandmother and his girlfriend both died on the same day.

The use of “both” and “same” is a longtime favorite of mine.

Maybe we should take up a collection to fund the hiring of some editors.