Christmas, Not ‘Xmas’

EXPRESSION BY Ebere Wabara

AS Christmas (not ‘Xmas’ in formal/standard settings) approaches and petrol scarcity lingers, let us mind our grammar. “…and as much N400 per litre on (in) the black market.”

“Star struck (Star-struck) Saka asks Beckham for picture”

“Police arrest two men over (for) break-in at (into) Sterling home”

“Morocco (Moroccan) players celebrate with heart patient”

“Felicitations with a dear brother and friend. You have consistently strove (striven)                                                                                                                      for excellence in business and service to humanity…. ” Get it right: Felicitations dear brother 

“HIV: Ogun pallies (parleys) TBAs to check mother to child (mother-to-child) transmission”

“The CBN said it wants (wanted) to promote financial inclusion via electronic banking”

“Aregbesola (Aregbesola’s) kinsmen dissolve faction, seeks (why?) members’ reintegration into Osun APC”

“Even as many said that (sic) Enugu is (was) not isolated from the national consensus for a new Nigeria…”

“Non-oil exports receipts hits $2.5bn—CBN” What’s going on here?

“NECA hails OPS (OPS’) resilience amidst (amid) economic challenges”

“Beaming with smiles….” Just ‘beaming…’!

THE PUNCH of December 2 continues the battle today: “Four arrested over (for) killing of ‘debtor’” 

“MTN Service Center in (on) Victoria Island” (MTN Full-page advertisement in the above medium)

From DAILY INDEPENDENT of December 2 comes this wrongdoing: “Lafarge Wapco launches a three prong empowerment program (programme, preferably)” Voice of Ogba: a three-pronged…(adjectival usage)

THE GUARDIAN of December 1 plotted against the English language: “Specifically, the Senate had then recommended the withdrawal of 3,645 plots from the holders on ground (on the grounds) that they were allocated between May 17 to (and) 29….”

Next is a faulty Editorial extract: “This is appalling and, literarily (literally), incendiary to the tempers now fraying at these oil wells.”

“…to the extent of temporary (temporarily) accepting 55 per cent of the National Minimum Wage pending when finances of government improves (sic)….”

“Wishing you many more success (successes)” (Full-page advertisement by Proserv Security)

From Rutam House we move to Fatai Atere Way. Last week’s edition of this medium contained many lexical inexactitudes right from its front page to other sections: “Kaduna stands still for Sambo’s daughters wedding” Truth in defence of freedom: Sambo’s daughters’ wedding

“I quickly completed my mansion and moved in with my family so that the electorates (electorate)….”

“Two teenagers were at the weekend shot dead in Kano by unknown gunmen.” How do you know the gunmen? Most publications are guilty of this juvenility!

“…because that child sees the mother does same (doing the same) and begins to cry for a piece of the action.”

“The face-off between former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan over sundry differences degenerated to (into an) open verbal confrontation recently before Jonathan suddenly flagged off an official ceasefire.”

“Whither APGA’s reconciliation moves?” Either APGA’s reconciliatory moves or just reconciliation—there is a difference between a noun and an adjective, which applies here.

“…close ranks and bury all hatchets in the interest of peace…,” Political ripples: bury the hatchet (stock expression, number notwithstanding)

“Babatunde Faseesin rocks with less privilege” Social Circuit: the less privileged

“John Edokpolo who began to collect art works since 44 years ago, (needless comma) gathered contemporary artists and stakeholders together….” Obliterate ‘since’ and ‘together’ for contemporariness.

Let us round off the foregoing review of last week’s edition of THE NATION ON SUNDAY: “How we escaped assasination (sic) attempt” ‘Escape’ means an attempt in the context. So, yank away ‘attempt’: How we escaped assassination! 

“Miss Ada’s mum atimes (at times) rides with her daughter to the club.”

“The contribution should be acknowledged, especially since it also results into (in) some form of dislocation for the people.”

“This brings to the fore, once again, the flaws and contradictions in the present constitutional arrangement with regards to Nigeria’s fiscal federalism.”  To live in truth is to serve: either as regards or with regard to.

“Lagos clashes: Panel to tour troubled spots: Get it right: trouble spot, but troubled water.

“GSM: Stakeholders converge in Abuja” Truth and reason: converge on Abuja.

“The United States remains engaged with Russia to curtail the proliferation of nuclear arsenal and to dispose off enriched uranium.…”  This way: dispose of.

“America will not revert into (to) its traditionally risky isolationism.”

“He therefore holds the priviledge of….”  Spell-check: privilege.

“A particular aspect of the southern governors’ meeting is their believe (belief) in the constitutional approach to solving significant national problems.”

“Justice of double standards” This way: double standard.

“Delta Police to combat crime with vigilante groups” City diary: vigilance groups.

“Jonathan, I remember, said in the television interview that he has (had) since.…”

“These people are already falling over themselves (one another) to clinch the offer.”

“Sambo at the ministry of defence merely exchanged banters as….”  Heart of the matter: ‘banter’ is uncountable.

“…yet the level of development in these places go (goes) beyond those from his home state.”

“…which in turn offer their accredited courses at (on) those campuses.”

“British Council backs grassroot soccer” Get it right: grassroots soccer.

“LG lawmakers pass vote of confidence on chairman” No brief: confidence in chairman.

“Shareholders poise for showdown with companies” No illiteracy: poised for showdown.

“…on the spurious ground that Ouattara is not a bona fide Ivorien.”  To live in truth is to serve: the spurious grounds.

“All these have culminated into (in) the horrible and deplorable situation in the country today.…”

“…by unpatriotic and evil men of power of yesteryears (yesteryear).”

“…most people, rightly or wrongly, are getting disillusioned about (by/with) our democracy….”

“Promises were made, the expectations….is (are) therefore legitimate, which any government that wants a re-election must take seriously.”

“Given the politics of the times was the incidence of the tarmac lights going off….”  There is a world of difference between ‘incidence’ and ‘incident’ (which applies here), just like ‘precedence’ and ‘precedent.’ 

“…to that extent shall we congratulate its authors for (on) hearing the deafening cry of Nigerians for an affective legislature.”

“…were simultaneously a continuation of the power-bloc struggle in Nigeria and unanticipated fallouts from that struggle.”  ‘Fallout’ is uncountable.

“…appeal to the discredited tactics of past times also wreak havoc on the procedural sanctity of the democratic path.”  Notes of disquiet: pastime.

“AU has always been a helpless on-looker as other do-gooders from Europe and America flock to these troubled (trouble) spots with relief materials.…”

“The reduction in the number of road accidents and casualities….”  “This way: casualties.

“Why fight, especially since we all are groping in the dark.”  A poser: can we grope where there is light? So, why not just groping?

“FG sets to fill vacancies in Civil Service” Get it right: FG set to…No loose thinking!

“…ask questions or demand for their credentials.” Delete ‘for’ from the extract.

“…never mind that ‘saboteurs’ have since done their worst by returning Nigeria back to darkness.” Yank away ‘back’ in the interest of morphological sanity.