September 12, 2007 | In: Thoughts

Just Wondering: ATM Machines

Why do we call them ATM Machines?

Automatic Teller Machine…machine?

Rather redundant isn’t it?

Just wondering…

11 Responses to Just Wondering: ATM Machines

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Paul J.

September 12th, 2007 at 7:22 pm

Same reason we call it a hot water heater.

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Kat

September 12th, 2007 at 7:39 pm

Ha! I’d never thought of that.

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Guilty Secret

September 13th, 2007 at 2:17 am

And a PIN number.

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Kristin

September 13th, 2007 at 3:16 am

ha ha ha… that’s true.

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euphrony

September 13th, 2007 at 4:23 am

I always just say ATM.

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Jim

September 13th, 2007 at 5:02 am

The hot water heater example above is one of my favorites for the “Department of Redundancy Department” category.

How about the Rio Grande River, or my favorite from my home town of Boulder, CO – Table Mesa? Some will claim these are unfair examples, since they’re Spanish, but I think you’d be hard pressed to find anyone in the West or Southwest US that doesn’t know “rio” means “river”.

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psalm8410

September 13th, 2007 at 5:14 am

I knew someone who knew someone that used to say queso cheese dip.

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Jim

September 13th, 2007 at 5:36 am

“Queso cheese dip” – EXTRA cheesy goodness! grin

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TC

September 13th, 2007 at 4:54 pm

not redundant – but still makes you ask why…

drive on a parkway

park on a driveway

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Thomas

September 14th, 2007 at 4:13 am

Automated Teller Machine – ATM

Thomas

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MamasBoy

September 16th, 2007 at 7:21 am

Let’s not forget the phrase “tuna fish”

In my experience, most people start dropping the redundancy in conversation once they start thinking about it.  I’ve no idea why so many phrases are like this.

MB

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