[DanAndersen]

"PIN number" is just a shorthand for "number that is a PIN." Never understood the pedantry on this one; when spoken (a lossy channel of communication), "PIN" is similar enough to "pin" and "pen" and "pan" that people have found the need to further disambiguate to be understood.

[labster]

If I had a nickel for every time a pedant complained to me about "PIN numbers", I'd be going to the ATM machine right now.

[sundvor]

I see what you did there. :)

The Department of Redundancy Department are hiring.

[jpatokal]

You mean "this message has been brought to you by the Department of Redundancy Department, which has brought you this message", you mean.

[hueving]

>"PIN number" is just a shorthand for "number that is a PIN."

No it's not. "What is your debit PIN number" is not short for "what is your debit number that is a pin".

Nearly everyone that gets called out for it isn't really thinking about what PIN stands for and they certainly don't lamely defend it with this disambiguation excuse. The context in which people ask for someone's PIN essentially never has any accidental swap with "pen" or "pan".

"Type your pan on the keypad."

"Choose a 4-digit pen."

Please, English is bad enough, don't bury it with more bullshit.

[ygra]

People do the same thing in other languages where PIN isn't a homophone with other words (e.g. German) and not just with PIN.