Romp, not Sex Romp

NEW Telegraph of November 6 welcomes us to this column for the first time with egregious slips: “We will rejig the sports curriculum of state owned (state-owned) institutions and….” “The primaries may resemble a one-way contest, as majority (a/the majority) of the APC governors….” “Nigercem to resume produce (production) as core investor mobilises (mobilizes, preferably) to site” (Page 2 Business, November 2)

“2 remanded in prison (custody) for dealing in cocaine” “Camerounian (Cameroonian) dies after sex romp with employer in Bayelsa” There is no need for ‘sex’ here because one of the meanings of ‘romp’ is a ‘period of sexual activity’ Therefore, the Cameroonian died after romp with employer! Sexuality is implied.

“Re (‘Subject’ in formal applications): Aneed for state of the nation (state-of-the-nation) address” (DAILY SUN OPINION Page Headline, November 2)

The following errors are from a full-page advertorial by the APC candidate for Anambra State 2017, Dr. Tony Nwoye:

“…the Willie Obiano administration has resorted to make-belief (make-believe) and fraud in other (order) to show any sign of performance.”

“Deceit is when APGApreach (preaches) hate against the Buhari led (Buhari-led) APC Government.”

“Fact is that the N Power programme is a Youth Empowerment (youth-empowerment) Initiative (needless capitalization) of the same Buhari led (sic) Government that Willie Obiano despise (despises).”

“We shall embark on massive youth empowerment (sic) and job creation (job-creation) programmes.”

Next Monday in my opinion column here: my declaration on “Anambra 2017”. Please don’t miss it. From the back page of DAILY Sun of November 2 comes the next blunder: “Gowon should think again” Arewrite: Gowon should rethink

“Anambra East, West standstill (stand still) for Obiano”. The next two mistakes are from DAILY SUN OPINION Pages of November 1: “Same (The same) is applicable to our university system”

“The fast approaching (fast-approaching) 2019 general elections (election) can only be successful if….” “Anglican primate visits Diocese on the Niger, lays foundation, commissions (inaugurates) projects” (Oriental News, November 1)

“The bulk (buck) stops at the table of Mr. President….” (Power & Politics, November 1)

“Abefitting feather to (in) your cap” (A full-page advertorial by Mantra Solutions Ltd., THISDAY, November 4)

More blunders from THISDAY under review: “Guinness, FRSC begins (why?) 2017 Ember Safety Campaign”

“In spite of booking 2018 World Cup ticket slated for Russia with a match to go, one area that has been given (giving) the….”

“Month of posibilities” City of David: possibilities and this: “extention” (extension) (Full-page advertorial by RCCG City of David, THISDAY, November 4)

“We salute an icon @ 50th (50)” and this: “Board of Trustee” (Trustees)” (Full-page advertorial by ALTON, THISDAY, November 4)

’Upliftment’, meaning ‘uplift’, is a NOUN, like ‘uplift’ and ‘uplifter’; while ‘uplift’ is verb and Noun (WORLD BOOK DICTIONARY, Page 2299) refers. Ateacher is a student; nobody is too old to learn. Aman must change in a changing world. And only a horse does not change its mind. After all, a change is as good as a feast! Gentlemen, you must keep abreast of the current tendencies in the English language.

’Shorthand for something’, meaning ‘a shorter way of saying or referring to something, which may not be as accurate as the more complicated way of saying it’, is an idiom. Example: ‘Mad Cow Disease’ is shorthand for ‘Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy’; ‘Exco’ is shorthand for ‘Executive Council’; ‘telly’ is shorthand for ‘television’; ‘advert’ is shorthand for ‘advertisement/advertorial’; ‘congrats’ is shorthand for ‘congratulations’.

’British English (BE) resists the use of VERBS as NOUNS as American English (AE) does such as ‘author, critique, host, impact, hemorrhage, loan, party, pressure, and roundtable’; also ‘gun (down)’ which means ‘shoot’ (The Economist STYLE GUIDE–-The Best–Selling Guide on English Usage, Page 74). You can add ‘debut’, ‘task’ and ‘chairman’-–all of which had been made verbs through the force of usage and American influence!

’I repeat, ‘about’ means ‘approximately, nearly, some, circa, more or less’ E.g. ‘About 142 persons reportedly died last April–- some refer to it as Bloody April–-in road mishaps.’ ‘The deportation of about 70 beggars to Anambra State by the Lagos State Government caused national uproar.

’If you are not sure whether to use a term, look it up in a current College Dictionary-–NEOLOGISMS (The Brief Holt Handbook by Kirszner & Mandell, Page 157) Not ‘check it up’ in the College Dictionary! The Mother and Child Centre (MCC) of Ifako Ijaiye General Hospital on College Road, is a beehive of activity.

’Witch hunt’ or ‘witch–hunt’ is a noun; ‘Witch–hunting’, is a noun and an adjective (in the informal sense or context); ‘witch–hunting’ (a noun) means ‘witch hunt’; as an adjective, it means ‘of or having to do with a witch hunt’. Truly, ‘witch hunt’ has not yet been verbalized.

The central question is: am I to blame when