Whether or not to bring my umbrella

One quick way to trim a couple of words at a time from your writing (and your speech), Grice thought, is to keep an eye on the “whether” – the “whether or not,” that is.

Consider:

I can’t decide whether or not to bring my umbrella.

Advice: lose the “or not” in that instance, and you’re fine. Just don’t lose your umbrella. Ha!