RAS syndrome
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RAS syndrome (Redundant Acronym Syndrome syndrome) is a humourous term referring to the common mistake of using one of the words which make up an acronym or initialism as well as the abbreviation itself, thus essentially repeating that word. This is a form of tautology, and in many cases a pleonasm. The term is, of course, an example in itself. The phenomenon has also been labelled PNS syndrome (for "PIN Number Syndrome syndrome"), while the terms are occasionally referred to as RAP phrases (Redundant Acronym Phrases phrases).
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Examples
Some of the most common examples include:
- PIN number = Personal Identification Number number
- GUI interface = Graphical User Interface interface
- ISBN number = International Standard Book Number number
- SAM missile = Surface-to-Air Missile missile
- ATM machine = Automatic Teller Machine machine
- LCD display = Liquid Crystal Display display
- HIV virus = Human Immunodeficiency Virus virus
- SCSI interface = Small Computer System Interface interface
- RAID array = Redundant Array of Independent Disks array (a slightly more subtle example)
- NT Technology = New Technology technology (although there may be other, equally valid, expansions of the "NT" in this case)
- Microsoft MS-DOS operating system = Microsoft Microsoft Disk Operating System operating system
A more subtle example is the phrase "please RSVP", which can be seen to be redundant once it is realised that RSVP comes from the French phrase répondez s'il vous plaît, which translates literally as "respond if you please", or more idiomatically as "please respond".
Doubly redundant examples are also sometimes heard, such as "personal PIN number" and "CSS style sheets", and even more redundancy is possible. In one Dilbert comic strip, Dilbert states that the "TTP" project refers to "The TTP Project" (which is also an example of a recursive acronym).
The phenomenon also occurs with people whose initials form a nickname used in place of their forename, such as Jeb Bush: Jeb stands for John Ellis Bush. This only applies where the initials form an acronym as opposed to an initialism; nobody would say JFK Kennedy.
Reasons for use
Some examples have become so common that to say otherwise can lead to confusion. The sentence "I can't remember my PIN" when spoken does not distinguish between a pin and the acronym PIN (and some dialects of English even have identical pronunciations for "pin" and "pen"). People are simply more used to hearing "pin number" and, though technically incorrect, it is widely accepted in the spoken form; in written contexts, it is seen as more important to get the usage correct. Examples have been found in bank correspondence using the phrase "Personal Identification Number (PIN) number", a clear example of poor copy editing.
It should also be noted that certain occurrences are in the interest of clarity; for example, when discussing a mainframe computer's requirements, the acronym "AC" might refer to air conditioning or alternating current depending on the context; the redundant phrase "AC current" can be used to distinguish them. Likewise with "CSS style sheets", where in certain contexts CSS could also refer to the content-scrambling system used on DVD Video titles. In addition, in many technical contexts, it is highly desirable to be specific as possible, even at the cost of some off-putting redundancy. However, many people believe that if clarity is sufficiently important to justify the redundancy, the full phrase, rather than the acronym, should be used.
A final justification is that many acronyms and initialisms are trademarks, and trademark law generally treats trademarks as adjectives, which should be used with a generic noun. Examples of correct usage include "SPAM luncheon meat" and "CNN network".
See also
- TLA ("three letter abbreviation or acronym")
- List of acronyms and initialisms
- Recursive acronym
External links
- Redundant Acronym Phrases (http://www.nanday.com/rap/) - a collection of common examples of such phrases.