Crackdown’: Noun, Phrasal Verb

Ebere Wabara

YOU are welcome to our clinic today: “Kano/Jigawa Customs intercepts trucks of smuggled food items” The Nigeria Customs Service will not, officially, intercept goods or items that were not smuggled. Only the bad eggs in the service will occasionally carry out such operations, illegally of course. So, delete ‘smuggled’ from the headline.

“ONSA, CBN join forces to crackdown (crack down) on forex speculators”

“FG uncovers 32 food smuggling (food-smuggling) routes in Sokoto” Unless if the national newspaper weirdly meant that ‘the food was smuggling the routes’! 

“Groups provide free HIV testing (HIV-testing) services” The preceding elucidation applies here equally.

“How incessant import duty hike (hikes) fuel cargo diversion, smuggling”

“ASUU raises alarm (the alarm) over emergence of new IPPIS, urges Tinubu to fish out brains behind it”

“Niger: Organised Labour begins warning strike as meeting with govt deadlocked” Please note that ‘deadlock’ and ‘deadlocked’ are noun and adjective, respectively. Therefore, its verbal usage here is wrong. Get it right: …as meeting ends in deadlock. Alternatively: as meeting remains deadlocked. ‘Deadlock’, on the other hand, can function as a noun and as a verb transitive. ‘Deadbolt’ means the same thing too.

 “…says ex-governor develop (developed) his constituency”

Classic FM 93.7 introduces us today to Old English which ended about 1150: “If that is the criteria….” (Monday, October 21, morning belt) Singular: criterion; plural: criteria

THE NATION ON SUNDAY of November 3 follows with its own Middle English versions which ceased to exist about 1500: “Why non interest (non-interest) banking should be encouraged”

“…but nearly a decade had passed without a trophy before today’s result which led to criticism (criticisms) of the Gunners (Gunners’) boss.” 

 “Another feather to (in) Zuriel’s cap”

“Akpabio decries low uptake of mosquito treated (mosquito-treated) nets”

“…said Nigeria needs (needed) N1.92 trillion yearly to achieve….”

The next fault is from THISDAY of October 21: “…the last thing the public needs (need) now is to rub salt in (into) their wounds.” A reader drew my attention to this correction last week and pointed out that ‘public’ takes both singular and plural verbs. I know this full well, but it depends on the context. In this case, the pronoun, ‘their’. Is plural referring to the public (‘they’). Consequently, to avoid pronoun-verb disorder/admixture, the public in this instance (they) need—not needs.

The PUNCH of October 24 circulated just this blunder: “UK police arrest mother over (for) children’s death”

Daily Trust of October 24 voiced one of the headlines wrongly: “Jonathan commends Tinubu over (for/on) position on terror war”

“The appointment…is often greeted with lot of expectation….” (OPINION Page) This way: lots of expectations or a lot of expectations

“…we are indeed happy and proud to be associate (associated) with you….”

“We wish you more feather to your cap” Get it right: more feathers in your cap

“How four under-aged (underage) girls were rescued”

“I am going to Lagos in 2027 because it is available for grab (it is up for grabs).”

“I spoke to reporters on phone disassociating (dissociating) the party from the move.”

 “If the party does not win elections, it will go into extinct (go extinct/go into extinction or become extinct).”

“Healed of barenness” Spell-check: barrenness

“…the more the desperadoes accuse her of all manners (manner) of things….”

“Huge gap on medical personnel to patient ratio” A rewrite: Huge gap on medical personnel-to-patient ratio

Finally from the Daily Trust Back Page: “Therefore, President Tinubu may do well to withdraw the soldiers and the police deployed to (in) the three states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.”

“They even argue over such things as sitting (seating) arrangements.”

THISDAY of October 24 goofed tragically: “Hardly does any month passes (pass) without a report of a boat accident and often with heavy casualty figures.”

“Brazilians will love Eagles (Eagles’) style, says….”

THISDAY of February 23 marketed commercialese instead of modern English: “Top players in the marketing communications industry, (dysfunctional comma) converged at (on) a summit organised by….”

The following contribution is from Ken Ugbechie. Please note that ‘reelect’, like ‘reelection’, is not hyphenated. ‘Title’/’headline’ is for the story while ‘caption’ is for the picture, photograph, cartoon, etc.   

THE NATION of February 23 issued a couple of flaws from its advertorial to editorial pages: “…we wish you many happy return (returns) of the day.”

“We, the Management and Staff of RNL, heartily congratulate…for (on/upon) achieving this great feat….”

“…so the industry was going through crisis (a crisis or crises).”

“The number one tailor in Nigeria, your commitment, dedication, professionalism and good leadership quality has (have) earned you this well-deserved honour.” 

“How can people gather together to rob?” Yank away ‘together’.

From Daily Independent Online of January 23 comes the next set of howlers: “Why we re-introduce (reintroduced) boarding schools—Dickson”

“…I foresee an imminent explosions” (Why?)

“ALGON President seeks LGs (LGs’) autonomy at national confab”

“It is such that some candidates have approached it as a do or die affair” Standard view: a do-or-die affair

“With our population, the highest, not only in the region but in (on) the entire continent….”

“…the tourism potentials inherent in our various geo-political (geopolitical) zones.” ‘Potential’, unlike ‘potentiality’, is non-count.

“Confessed witches apprehended in Benue” Community Mirror: Witchcraft-confessors (not ‘confessed witches’)

Let us welcome Blueprint to this forum. Its edition of February 21 goofed: “FCT residents groan over (at/with) security road blocks (roadblocks)”

“US based (US-based) Nigerian lawyer in trouble over $1.5m fraud”

“…the expected tally of between 12 to 15 items….” Between 12 and 15 or from 12 to15

“However, it is feared that the state of this oil blocs (these oil blocks) may….”

“Of course I have heard some delegates demanding for their own state.” Delete ‘for’.

“What the respected former intelligence officer was saying was that there are (were) gaps in terms of synergy….”

The next three blunders from the same page of Leadership of January 23 showed lexical laziness by employing the same verb, ‘urge’, in three out of the five headlines on the page: ”2027: Abia South leaders urge Abaribe to run for gov”; and “Ohaneze urges Tinubu to shut borders over insecurity” There are many synonyms for the abused word!

“Libya to expel illegal Nigeria (Nigerian) immigrants”

“…if it gets its acts right (act together).”