There is nothing as embarrassing as being ignorantly confident in error. You may have, on one or two occasions, be posing off with some words/phrases, not knowing you’re deep in the pool of mistake; they’re non-existing phrases.
There could make you fell terribly bad after crafting out a ‘beautiful’ post around an idea.
Embarrassing? Jaw-dropping ? You do the job. Use whatever words suits you, my dear. You’re at liberty!
After observing conversations and reading through piles of texts, I found out that you, like many others, could have used these wrong, rather non-existing phrases:
Complimentary Card
“I’ll send give him my complimentary card“. That’s a wrong way to tell someone you’ll give him your BUSINESS CARD.
If you use complimentary, it means that you’re giving out a free copy of your product.
That informs why you have “COMPLIMENTARY COPY,” used as a promotional device by intellectual property owners.
Wrong: I gave Uche my complimentary card.
Right: I gave Uche my business card.
Delta citizen/indigenes
This one has been popularised by the media but some principalities in high places say that “indigene” is not an English word.
I was wondering, when I read “Delta citizens” in the news the other time, if my state had finally gotten independence and became a country.
Never say: “Delta citizens” since Delta is not a country or Delta indigenes.
Wrong: Delta state indigenes/citizens have been largely peaceful amidst the economic Kung Fu.
Right: Delta state natives have been largely peaceful amidst the economic Kung Fu.
Poke Nose
I know you used to tell your neighbour not to poke nose into your affairs again. But unku, it’s actually poke your nose into your affairs.
Wrong: Stop poke nosing into my affairs, biko!
Right: Don’t poke your nose into my affairs, e jor!
Luxurious Bus
Trust me, I heard and used this confidently while growing up until the scales fell off my eyes.
Nigerians use it to describe a large bus which can take in more persons than the normal bus.
Wrong: I took a luxurious Bus to Ikeja on Saturday.
Right: I took a luxury bus to Ikeja today.
Comity of Nation
If you’re a politically inclined person, you know that this is used in reference to the gathering of nations. However, that is a wrong judgement of the phrase. Comity of nation is the respect countries have for one another.
Wrong: Nigeria is envied in the comity of nations.
Right: Nigeria is envied in the community of nations.
Barbing Salon.
No much talk on this as there is no word as “barbing” in that context.
Wrong: I went to the barbing salon.
Right: I went to the hair salon.
Screen touch
In this digital age, you may have been guilty of using it to describe a mobile device that responds to touch. However, that’s wrong. See how to use it:
Wrong: My phone is a screen touch.
Right: My phone is touch screen.
