DAILY SUN of July 24 welcomes us this day with a sub-headline goof: "Gloom at home of First Lady's mum… Bayelsa govt condoles family" The state government condoled with or consoled the family. "12 months (months') free internet" (Full-page advertisement as published in the above medium by glo Unlimited) "Oduduwa University post UTME (post-UTME) screening exercise for 2013/2014"
The citadel of learning does not need 'exercise' in this advertisement published in THE GUARDIAN of July 23. Still on the above: "Candidates who choose Polytechnics or Colleges of Education could (can) also apply" or Candidates who chose polytechnics or colleges of education could also apply."
There is harmony in collocation. The Guardian of July 16 carried diseased advertorials, headlines and sentences: "Nigeria rules out handling (handing) over Al-Bashir to ICC"
"Gov Aregbesola's flood control (flood-control) measures" "…we are delighted to have midwifed (sic) this game change (game-change) project." "South South & South East Traditional Rulers (Rulers') Forum" "Please, take note that after 15 days of this notice, unclaimed products would be disposed off (of)."
"The Management and Staff of Julius Berger Nigeria PLC felicitates (felicitate) with…." The PUNCH Back Page Friday Musings of July 12 committed an unusual blunder: "When was the last time any political office holder resigned their appointment on the ground (grounds) of public opprobrium?"
"The ICAN Ikeja District Society July-September 2013 Training Calender" (Half-page advertisement, THE GUARDIAN, July 9) Spell-check: calendar
FROM MY MAILBOX
"Regardless of the un-abating disregard, if not for conceited nonrecognition of your (and Bayo Oguntunase's) modest effort at bringing people back to the path of syntactical and morphological sanity week in week out, your journalist colleagues remain obstinately incorrigible. It is howlers galore! If it is not 'flagging off', it is 'commissioning'! All in the wrong contexts: do not let the flag go down.
There are many out there, especially teachers of the English language, who avail themselves of your weekly contributions. Do not be dissuaded. Stay blessed." (Folorunso Babafemi/Babfranc Educational Services/Ilesa/08133197524) "Mark you, 'shorthand for something' is a phrasal idiom, hence 'telly' is shorthand for television, 'fan' is shorthand for fanatic, 'uplift' is shorthand for upliftment, 'hive' is shorthand for beehive, etc. 'Upliftment', like 'uplifter', has gained currency." (Bayo Oguntunase/ 08029442508) "'There is no country like Nigeria' means that Nigeria is a figment of the imagination, whereas what is meant is that there is no other country like Nigeria."
(Jacob Oluyemi/08104036139) "Ebere, I told you in our telephone discussion, months ago, that some Nigerians would want to defend the spurious use of local coinages and expressions like 'upliftment', 'project commissioning', 'the governor gave the charge…', 'school run' and 'challenges' in the face of huge socio-economic problems etc.
Even the U.S. and European countries admit their problems! Ebere, please they may not understand and appreciate the value of your uncommon research effort in the practice of journalism in Nigeria.
We used to say 'news break', but today it's 'breaking news'. That's the dynamic nature of journalism that Ebere is attempting to signalize. "The ignorance persists because journalism teachers and Heads of News in NTA and FRCN are unable to follow these changes over time.
Apart from misleading and indoctrinating the public, they continue to pollute the standard and vibrancy of the profession. This problem is a challenge to the NUJ. Imagine the flagship of radio broadcasting in Nigeria still refers to all her reporters as 'correspondents' instead of differentiating them as we have today! Therefore, the NUJ should come out with a well-researched or well-grounded professional journal to give direction and ensure an acceptable standard.
It can start off with quarterly publications. Ebere, please do not be discouraged. Keep it up!" (Sunny Agbontaen/08062998165) This paragraph was contributed by Mr. Kola Danisa (07059188542): "…high tension wires fell off and electrocuted people to death…." What is electrocution?
Kindly yank off 'to death'! "The party chairman left for the Abuja Airport en route (from where to) Yola" (Both errors were extracted from THE NATION ON SUNDAY, July 14) "Nigeria's President Goodluck arrives (in) Beijing, meets President XI Jinping Wednesday." (NTA News Scroll, July 9) 'Arrive' is not a transitive verb, so it cannot have 'Beijing' as object. Your readers cherish your competence in the use of modern English, not the brand consigned to the Dark Ages as noted in your response to the selfstyled 75-year-old language activist, Bayo Oguntunase.
He insulted us (Wordsworth readers) by saying 'look them up in the Desk Dico. Not listed in POCKET Dico'. He once claimed to have 'about 12 dictionaries'. I told him sound editors do not approximate countable things (at least or no fewer than, yes). He did not acknowledge his blunder."
