Post #36

Various different

26th October 2003, lunch time | Comments (1)

One of my mother’s pet peeves has long been the phrase “various different”. It seems like needless repetition of the concept.

But as it turns out, “various different” is perfectly acceptable:

Various different is not redundant; it means “a variety of different things,” and it is Standard. (Various things and different things are not quite the same, either.) But be aware that some commentators still object, even if unreasonably, to various different anythings.

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  1. Steve:

    I've never heard this phrase before. I assume it's the opposite of 'same difference', another one that seems to get back's-a-prickling.

    Posted 1 year, 4 months after the fact

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