But you can be in proximity and not in close proximity, that being a matter of degree. Usually otiose but not necessarily.That's why I separated "for free" from the other two (only there because it infuriates me). Tautology is saying the same thing twice (as per your examples) which of course could also be a pleonasm, but pleonasms are not necessarlily tautologies just unnecessary words - reduce down? you can't reduce up. You can't be in distant proximity.