Poke-nosing’ Incorrect
Expression BY Ebere Wabara
“HE said that Nigeria posses (possesses) the right leaders, but yet to get it right despite its huge potentials (potential).”
Daily Independent Online of January 8 joins the fray this week with too many faulty lines: “Bring back our girls protest hits Rivers” This way: ‘Bring-back-our-girls protest’ hits Rivers
“He said the state government is (was) delivering on affordable homes as promised.” I do not know why basic principles of reported speech should be challenging for some journalists!
“UNICAL expels 107 students over (for) certificate forgery”
“The practice of ruling party wins-all-council (win-all-council) offices has made stakeholders to see the SIECs as irrelevant and undesired (undesirable), thus leading to calls for its (their) scrapping.”
“…SSA to the acting governor of Taraba State on Media and Publicity recently speaks to (recently spoke with) journalists….”
“Librarians blame high cost of printing on incessant power outage” Education Today: incessant power outages/cuts
“Polytechnics (Polytechnic) Medical Directors elect officers (officials)”
“Forging Pan African (pan-Africa) integration through unified marketing education”
“Dollar falls to lowest since October on lower yields” Global News: lowest level
“Genetics explain (explains) why some twins are bigger than others”
“Why DStv staged All Stars (all-star) show”
“Lack of funding, poor management (mismanagement) and lack of vision has (have) stunted the development of….”
“OSSAA reads Riot Act to outdoor owners” Brands & Marketing: the riot act
The January 30 back page of Daily Trust rounds off the long introduction: “Maybe the scales has (have) now fallen off the president (president’s) eyes….”
“…to advise and not to keep poke-nosing into the affairs of the nation….” There is nothing like ‘poke-nosing’. Get it right (informal): poke your nose into something! So, the man should be advised not to keep poking his nose into. Nobody has the right/licence to change fixed/stock phrases, especially as borrowed users of the English language.
Usage note: both ‘singlehandedly’ and ‘singlehanded’ are correct and can interchangeably be used.
Someone should inform Classic FM 97.3 presenters, editors and newscasters that the right expressions are ‘mature people’ and ‘marching orders’—not ‘matured people’ and ‘marching order’! (Thursday, January 25 evening belt programme and Tuesday, January 30, 11.15 a.m. bulletin, respectively)
Wrong: A force to reckon with
Right: A force to be reckoned with
The next two contributions are from Charles Okogene: “95,926 candidates to write (do/take/sit) exams” (THE NATION ON SUNDAY, January 28)
“The late National Security Adviser, Andre Owoye Azazi, said that modern equipment had to be provided as a way of bringing the insecurity crisis (security crisis) to an end.” (DAILY TRUST, January 17) Usage note: we correctly say or write insecurity or security crisis/security problem/security challenge. Similarly, unemployment or employment problem/crisis/challenge….
Our next capture is THE NATION ON SUNDAY of January 7 which could not police its pages: “…the fallouts from the aborted visit are still reverberating in democratic circles all over the country.” Barometer: ‘fallout’ is non-count.
“Nyanya blast: Troops arrest 8 Nigerian (Nigerien), Cameroonian suspects”
The comment page of the above edition follows with just two minor drawbacks: “It tells of how we value human lives, compared to how people in more civilized climes value same (the same)….”
“More worrisome is the harsh reality that majority (a majority) of the victims were pupils….”
“Group sensitises (sensitizes, preferably) traders on (to) security”
“…on discovering the business potentials (potential) in comedy….”
The next serial errors are from a full-page press release signed by (name withheld): “To review the overall conduct of the wards congresses with view to determine harmonious acceptable outcome….” Get it right: …ward congresses with a view to determining a harmonious and an acceptable outcome….
“To monitor and supervise the process and resolution of any problem that might have arise (arisen).”
“The state congress committee, therefore (another comma) wish to announce the re-schedule (rescheduling) of the congresses in the state.”
Finally from the blunder-ridden press release: “By this notice, all card carrying (card-carrying) members of APC (the APC) in the state are advice (advised) to prepare for the congresses.”
SATURDAY INDEPENDENT Comment s Page of January 6 takes over the baton: “…and majority (a majority) of media practitioners (professionals)” We can talk of medical or legal practitioners. Journalists do not practise ‘media’ as doctors and lawyers practise medicine and law respectively!
From THE NATION ON SUNDAY Classified Page comes this recurrent foible: “Change of name is now published every Sundays….” Either every Sunday or all Sundays: this is a yellow card!
The lexical crises continue as usual: “Police arrest 20 students over (for) protest in Delta”
“PDP commends non-partisan approach on (to) terrorism”
“Borno records low malaria-related deaths” News extra: low malarial (adjectival) deaths, preferably
THISDAY banner of January 26 lacked reason: “President shelves Adamawa trip over mood of the nation” A rewrite: President shelves Adamawa trip over nation’s mood”
“He was rascally parading as a masquerade (masquerader) during Christmas.” ‘Masquerade’ is the mask/wooden or plastic symbol/effigy/facial caricature or covering while the wearer/carrier is the masquerader. It is close to ‘dupe’ (the person tricked) while the felon (trickster) is the ‘duper’ and the heinous act is known as ‘dupery’. But, often, people use ‘dupe’ to mean everything! A senior colleague of mine insists that the entry (masquerade) is correct, but I strongly disagree!
“Below are photographs of personalities at (on) the occasion.”
THISDAY of January 29 extended the medium’s blundering profile: “…the board said the extension of Otti’s tenure is (was) in recognition and appreciation of his ….”
“Flight operations restored in (to) Kaduna”
