Fatal, Ghastly Mishaps  

EXPRESSION

By Ebere Wabara, ewabara@yahoo.com, 08055001948

DAILY Sun Front Page Sub-headline of April 9 welcomes us to this edition: “Ruling party in make or break meeting” Voice of The Nation: make-or-break meeting

“Cross-section (A cross-section) of the crowd at the rally”

“…on the occasion of his 70th Birthday Anniversary” Delete ‘anniversary’.

“Saraki’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuf Olaniyonu, said the appointment takes (took) immediate effect.”

“What industry stakeholders, however, would like to see is a timeline that tells when AMCON would hands-off (hands off) the airlines….”

“It’s fight to finish” (Sporting Sun Front Page Bold Headline, April 10) Sports at its best: fight to the finish

DAILY Sun Editorial of April 11 offered readers two improprieties: “The loan, according to the CBN, will attract single interest rates of between 5-9 (between 5 and 9) per cent.”

“We applaud this necessary but (and) timely intervention by the CBN aimed at encouraging non-oil exports and diversification of the economy.” ‘But’ is a contrasting conjunction which cannot function in the extracted environment.

“Police declares (declare) Elumelu wanted”

“We wish to announce the sudden death of our friend…which sad event took place on…in a ghastly motor accident.” (THE GUARDIAN, February 23) When an accident results in death, it is fatal (not ghastly).

A recurrent blunder: “4 arrested over 62-yr-old man’s death” (Vanguard Headline, February 23) No tiresomeness from error regularity: ‘arrest’ takes ‘for’ (not ‘over’).

“Why we’re promoting artistes of yesteryears” Nigeria’s weekly magazine: yesteryear. The same thing applies to ‘heyday’.

“Our grouse against NHIS, by community pharmacists” (THE GUARDIAN Bold Headline, February 10) My grouse about (not against) media language abuse….

“Before it used to be between 40 to 60….” (THE GUARDIAN, February 17) Either from 40 to 60 or between 40 and 60; no muddle, gentlemen

“Explosions in the African continent” (THE GUARDIAN Opinion Page Bold Headline, February 17) Conscience, nurtured by truth: Explosions on the African continent.

“In the presidential polls (a comma) President…failed to score the mandatory 50 per cent of the vote to be declared outrightly elected” ‘Outrightly’ is perverse American English. The British (standard) version is ‘outright’ which functions both as an adverb and an adjective. We cannot continue agonizing over semantics.

“On December 29, the governor added another feather to his cap when….” (Daily Trust, February 15) Stock expression: added (no need for another) a feather in (not to) one’s (his) cap.

“Solutions that create more social trauma and dislocations than is currently the case will not be preferred over solutions that minimize the same.” (DAILY Sun, February 16) I prefer compere to (not over) master of ceremonies.

“The three parties that demanded for the restructuring of the electoral body are….” (Daily Independent, February 16) As a verb, ‘demand’ does not take ‘for’ except in a noun form.

“Given the robust profiles of majority of the INEC commissioners, there is every hope that the commission may get its acts together in the 2019 elections.” A review: a majority of…and the fixed expression: get its act (not acts) together.

The following blunders are from Nigerian Tribune of February 16: “Hong Kong, as a colony, is made up of the harbour that is reputed to be one of the busiest in the world comprising of some outlying settlements, ceded to Britain by China in 1842.” This can’t be a challenge: ‘comprising’ does not require ‘of’.

“I feel the permanent solution is not in importing fuel from abroad….” (Vanguard, February 16) The importation couldn’t have been from within these shores!

“Their roles and participation in the furtherance of dictatorship has (have) seriously.…” (Source: as above)

“Issues bothering on meeting employers’ obligations to employees in form of salary….” There is a sharp distinction between ‘bothering’ and ‘bordering’, which applies here.

“While contesting the alleged sale of the bakery and its ultra-modern equipments….” ‘Equipment’ is uncountable.

“The frequency with which administrations are changed at the grassroot level makes it difficult for any sustainable development to be accomplished.” Immutable: grassroots makes.

“Given the robust profiles of majority of the INEC commissioners, there is every hope that the commission may get its acts together in the April elections.” A review: a majority of…and the fixed expression: get its act (not acts) together.

The following blunders are from Nigerian Compass of February 16: “Hong Kong, as a colony, is made up of the harbour that is reputed to be one of the busiest in the world comprising of some outlying settlements, ceded to Britain by China in 1842.” This can’t be a challenge: ‘comprising’ does not require ‘of’.

“I feel the permanent solution is not in importing fuel from abroad….” (Vanguard, February 16) The importation couldn’t have been from within these shores!

“Their roles and participation in the furtherance of dictatorship has (have) seriously.…” (Source: as above)

“While contesting the alleged sale of the bakery and its ultra-modern equipments….” ‘Equipment’ is uncountable.

“The frequency with which administrations are changed at the grassroot level makes it difficult for any sustainable development to be accomplished”. Immutable: grassroots.

“The impression seems to have gained ground that the voter registration was just another white elephant project, a wasteful jamboree.” Get it right: just white elephant. All the trash about ‘project, a wasteful jamboree’ is simply pleonastic.

“Just imagine if all the money which was sunken into the Ajaokuta steel project.…” Tense mix-up: yank off ‘sunken’ for ‘sunk.’

“I escaped death by a hair’s breath” No lexical mayhem: a hair’s breadth.

“I detest the idea of somebody being nun talk less of my own daughter.” ‘Talk less’ is Nigerian English employed in place of ‘not to talk of’ or ‘let alone’ which are standard entries.