‘Accusing Finger’ Wrong

Expression BY Ebere Wabara

CORRECTIONS in this column are mostly in brackets immediately after the wrong word or expression—excluding, of course, the attributions, emphases and elucidations like the noun reference in this paragraph. An example with the first headline extract from will suffice: “NNPC aircraft crash lands (crash-lands) in Warri” But, crash landing (noun) as opposed to the verb form. That is the beauty of the language.

THE GUARDIAN flooded its April 5 edition with misapprehensions: “…has been reportedly (why should a reputable newspaper use this meaningless cliché that does not add any value?) kidnapped by unknown gunmen.” What is this craze about ‘unknown gunmen’? How will anyone know them? It would have been excusable if they were clad in any official (authorised) uniforms (camouflage) of the armed forces or other paramilitary agencies. Otherwise, it smacks of warped thinking!

“Court remands Lamido’s son in prison” The court can either ‘remand in custody’ (which means to send someone to prison until trial) or ‘remand on bail’ (which implies allowing a suspect to go free until the trial after leaving a sum of money with the court). Thanks to A. S. Hornby for this insight. 

“…was picked by a (a panel?) ‘after careful (would it have been careless?) consideration of all the feats she had been able to achieve in the (sic) 18 months while steering the aviation industry.’ ” Crash the thought! The delectable minister was steering the aviation ministry—not the industry!

Still on THE GUARDIAN: “The offence of the politician that stole $1 and the one that stole $1 million will carry same (the same) weight.”

“A Bill for an Act to provide for a death sentence against (on) persons found guilty of corruption related (corruption-related) offences in the country is….”

“He also wants the National Assembly has to tolerant other views on the amendment of the constitution.” (Politics Page) What does this mean?

“Attempt (Attempts/An attempt) to explain that I personally went to Bamgbose in (on) Lagos Island, did the data capture and other processes to obtain the document fell on the ears (on the deaf ears) of an increasingly angered officer.”

Now finally from The Guardian under review: “In the event that they are not ready to debate and put forth arguments one way or the other….” Conscience, Nurtured by Truth: one way or another…. An aside: I do not understand the function of the comma after ‘conscience’ in The Guardian pay-off line. Can someone elucidate on this in my interest?  

“The use of hard power of military might rarely reined in terrorists activities anywhere” Either: terrorist activities or terrorists’ activities

“He was offering them stone when they demanded for bread” This is no news: delete ‘for’!

“The crises which has (have) rocked the NLC since….” Singular: crisis; plural: crises. Computers point out some of these errors!

“We heartily congratulate you, our esteemed chairman…quintessential banker and corporate guru per (par) excellence.” 

Still on THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER: “The Minister for Information took the lectern….” A voyage of discovery: Minister of…and Commissioner for….

“Late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua also did.” Cover: The late President….

“Some of the despotic regimes thrown up in (on) the continent did worse things than was experienced under colonialism.”

“They will only end up frustrating the good intentions of the President, thereby continually subjecting Nigerians into (to) servitude.”

“Expectedly, the man at the centre of controversy had spared no effort to deny the allegations, pointing accusing fingers at the press and his detractors.”  No moronic writing: yank away ‘accusing’ and point the finger (not fingers) in the interest of literacy.

“The innocent undergraduate is fast becoming rare specie (a rare species) threatened with extinction.”

“The security men allowed him to go out of the compound knowing fully (full) well that the whole area was flooded.” Alternatively: knowing fully.

“Speaking at the same occasion, President Buhari warned the military against coup.”  Prepositional precision agreement: on (not at) the occasion.  Away with these bats in the belfry.  This particular gaffe confirms that most journalists don’t read.  If they did, these juvenile goofs would not be recurring.

“Government’s efforts to clean up the waste is (why this dirt: ‘efforts…is?) not helped by the attitude of Lagos residents who throw their wastes on just about anywhere.”

“…in a publication “Taking the Bull by the Horn…”  Investing in the English language: take the bull by the horns (not horn).

“Part of his quality sense (not quantity) concerns the debate on how best to eat a dish, with cutleries or with the ten fingers.” As I mentioned in my introductory note last week, ‘cutlery’ is non-count.

“I am a product of a system which allowed a poor farmer-cum-fisherman’s son to go through the very best schools.…” ‘Best’ has reached the end-point of intensification and cannot be inflected (by adding ‘very’).  It is an absolute word—a superlative entry. 

“Robbery: Policeman killed by vigilante group” This way: vigilance group.

“The gallantry effort exhibited by the driver of….”  Get it right: either gallantry or gallant effort.

“…we must struggle against the abuse of power and its dangerous fall-outs.” The last word is in the extract is uncountable and goes without hyphenation.

“Most ideal posture no doubt that should infact (in fact) be adopted by every other state governors.” The Boko Haram romance: either every other state governor or all other state governors.

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