Roll From Side To Side

Question

http://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/31/travel/on-rafting-trip-running-into-trouble.html?pagewanted=2

"As our raft began to hit the rapids, we concentrated on staying in the boat. Bobbing up and down, our raft rolled from side to side, like a drunken sailboat."

Does anyone think that "from side to side" is redundant, since "roll" implies tilting from side to side?

Avangi · Accepted Answer

I don't think it's redundant, as the reader might not know that it would rarely roll from front to back.
It's surely no more redundant that "bobbing up and down," which is definitely idiomatic.
I'd say there's a difference between emphasis and redundancy.

Edit. I guess I've heard "bobbing from side to side," as in bobbing and weaving in a boxing match. Sorry.

SheltieBites · Answer

AvangiI don't think it's redundant, as the reader might not know that it would rarely roll from front to back.It's surely no more redundant that "bobbing up and down," which is definitely idiomatic.I'd say there's a difference between emphasis and redundancy.

I thought "roll" means tilting to one side? So if a ship rolls, it could be that its bow dips and stern rises?

Avangi · Answer

SheltieBitesI thought "roll" means tilting to one side? So if a ship rolls, it could be that its bow dips and stern rises?

If it's a large ship, an experienced person would assume it's rolling from side to side, if there's no further context.

My point was that the author doesn't know the experience of his reader, and there's no harm in elaborating.
If the term "roll" by itself (without reference to a particular conveyance or a particular medium) meant "from side to side," then you could call "side to side" redundant. But in your example, the knowledge that "rolling" probably means "side to side" comes from the reader's knowledge of white water rafting, or whatever this is.Capsules hurtling through space have been known to enter into a forward roll. In fact, if the raft is short, "bobbing up and down" could well mean rolling front to back. When the front goes up the back goes down. I think it's perfectly natural to elaborate in this case.

Roll From Side To Side

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