Today, I'm going to play two listener comments that will lead us to a discussion of wordiness

and idioms.

First, here's Todd in Canada from the ToddBits.com website.

Hi, grammar girl.

Can you help me correct people?

Everyone that I know seems to not be able to put the phrase go ahead and, in front of

a verb.

Every time they want to say a verb, they put the phrase go ahead and, in front of it.

I'm going to go ahead and walk down the street.

I'm going to go ahead and send you the email.

And the phrase go ahead and is completely redundant.

So, please, I would love you to correct this and also tell us what other prefixes in front

of the verb are completely irrelevant.

I'm going to go ahead and hang up now and listen to what you have to say.

Thanks, Todd.

Well said.

I would call this wordiness, which is really just using a lot of unnecessary words.

Here's one that I'm guilty of in emails.

For some reason, I always start emails with the phrase, I just wanted to let you know

that and then I get to my point.

So I always have to go back and rewrite my emails so I don't belittle my own sentiment

and waste the reader's time.

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