‘Fall-out’ Uncountable

Expression By Ebere Wabara

“APC boils over choice of Senate, House of Reps (Reps’) principal officers”

“Kano anti-graft agency arrests Ganduje’s works commissioner over (for) alleged N1bn fraud”

“FG set to introduce cancer prevention (cancer-prevention) vaccine”

“Your vast experience in the private sector and public service have (has) prepared you for this critical role in the legislative branch….”

Daily Champion online of June 13 committed multifarious offences: “Bola on the hospital bed….” Tribute: Bola in the hospital bed. When you are hospitalized and you lie down,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  you are in the hospital bed, but when you are visiting and you sit on the edge of the bed you are on the bed. What a thin line!

“The bill has stirred quite a lot of controversy (controversies).”

“…is against the spirit and letters of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution….” My view: either the spirit of the law or the letter of the law (the Nigerian 1999 Constitution) 

“The commissioning (now a cliché—look for other expressions) of the ultra-modern building complex….”

Another oddity from Daily Trust of July 6: “The Plateau State Polytechnic, Barkin-Ladi, on Friday matriculated 4,800 new students admitted into various courses for the 2023/2024 academic session.” Posers: Do old (returning) students matriculate? And this: admission into various courses! Would they all have read the same course? This way: …matriculated 4,800 (students) for the 2023/2024 session.

“Fire outbreak averted in hostel” Campus News: Just ‘fire’—no otiose ‘outbreak’!

“Effect of security in socio economic development in Nigeria” A rewrite: Effect of insecurity on (not in) socio-economic (take note) development in Nigeria

Still on Daily Trust: “Global investments in renewable energy drops (why?) by….”

“Iredia condemns police intolerance to (of) media”

“…just as the service would be opened (open) to any brand or model of handset.”

Finally from Daily Trust: “…they are in every strata (stratum) of society….” And, of course: all strata/stratums.

“FG approves border free (border-free) trade zone for Borno” 

More contributions to last week’s edition: ‘Followership’ has been in existence since 1928. Also, ‘witch-hunt’ is both a noun and an adjective. Source: Word Book Dictionary and Webster’s New Encyclopedic Dictionary. It is also listed in Oxford Dictionary of Current English. This columnist notes that most dictionaries and reference books, like the 2012 Longman Advanced Dictionary of Contemporary English and Roget’s Thesaurus, do not, however, list the contentious word.

‘Finger bowl’ is different from ‘wash-hand basin.’ The former is the plastic moved around for washing of hands, while the latter is usually affixed on a wall or metallic contraptions. (Intervention by Sunny Agbontaen/08055162531)

“Moro, who exonerated the Interior Ministry of capability (culpability), revealed….” (Sunday Vanguard, June 25) 

“…some NWC members are urging the leadership of the party to exercise refrain (restraint) in further suspending the governors.” All well-informed readers are free to contribute to this column, too. The essence is to exchange robust ideas on the English language.

“Interior Minister swears in immigration boss, third on (in) the saddle” (AIT News Scroll, June 11)

The Guardian of June 11 offered its esteemed readers a school-boy howler: “Had the said term been imposed in (on) any of those corruption cases involving public office holders, ears would not have tingled in the least.”

“Samsung Galaxy Reach for the Star contest all expense paid trip to Dubai for 10” (10 x 5 advertisement by Samsung) Get it right: all-expenses-paid trip!

THISDAY of June 10 disseminated advertorial and editorial gaffes: “Introducing Fidelity Managed SMEs….” (Full-page advertisement by Fidelity Bank PLC) We keep our word: what about Fidelity-managed SMEs?

“…road traffic accidents and transport related crimes and criminalities.” Get it right: transport-related crimes and criminalities.

“…patients at LUTH are being turned down for shortage of bed space (spaces).”

“FG to pay-off (pay off) PHCN casual staff”

“The Presidential Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation expresses its profound   gratitude and appreciation to all who answered the clarion call to be our brother’s keepers through….” For the attention of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation: brother’s keeper (fixed expression irrespective of number)!

“This appointment is well deserved, an attestation of (to) the transformation you have ignited in the Nigerian youth….”

“I believe such road (such a road) with large number (a large number) of vehicles….”

Finally from THISDAY: “Wada: Fulani herdsmen, farmers clash major security challenge” News extra: …farmers’ clash, major security challenge

Last Thursday’s edition of Daily Trust committed a few blunders starting from its front page: “Govs in fresh gang up against Uzodinma” Truth in defence of freedom: gang-up

“Majority (A majority) of the members of the House of Representatives seeking to make….”

“…people from the North who alleged that they had a talk with him with regards to 2023.” The Sunday Interview: with regard to or as regards

“…which is one of the fallouts of the daily traffic jam.” Life: ‘fallout’ is uncountable.

Finally from the business section of THE NATION ON SUNDAY of July 2 under review: “While some of the funds have been diverted to other uses….” Away from commercialese: ‘Diversion’ means to other uses other than the original purpose/intent. So, ‘diversion to other uses’ is sheer verbosity and a demonstration of poverty of scholarship!

THISDAY of June 8 goofed: “NAMA recalled Oshiomhole’s already airborne chopper” If a helicopter is airborne, it is airborne—there is no need for ‘already’!

The last headline rape by Leadership of June 8: “Navy personnel ups (up) the ante in weapon handling, marksmanship”