redound.
“Redound” now used most commonly in the verbose clichés “to redound to the benefit of” (= to benefit) and “to redound to one’s credit,” may also be used in negative senses {to redound against or to the shame of}. E.g.: “If I leave before the new villa is complete, I will have more questions to answer than I would care to deal with, and I would leave behind speculation that could redound to you.” Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Communion Blood 304 (1999).
Unfortunately, some writers confuse this word with “rebound” — e.g.: “Weavers are favored by karmic forces, and such endeavors as the saving of a weaver’s life can rebound [read ‘redound’] to one’s benefit at the most unexpected times.” Peter David, Sir Apropos of Nothing 110 (2001).
The etymology of “redound” lies in the Latin “und” (“wave”), and the word implies an advancing and receding move.
Language-Change Index — “rebound” misused for “redound”: Stage 1.
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Quotation of the Day: “Besides being wrong and unrealistic, the exaggeration of the frequency and gravity of grammatical error is positively harmful to the use of English in a . . . far-reaching and subtle way. It tends to engender an attitude of timidity and cowardice, so that very many Englishmen feel they can hope for nothing better in writing their native language than to avoid making asses of themselves.” Hugh Sykes Davies, Grammar Without Tears 13 (1951).
