Say what you mean and mean what you say (III)

A gentle reminder, please: the series “Say what you mean and mean what you say” is still about MALAPROPISM – a seemingly innocuous error we enjoin you to avoid scrupulously, so as to communicate your thoughts and messages precisely and meaningfully. Malapropisms creep in so easily because of their equally slippery sources. What gives them away readily, however, is that, often, they turn out funny and even ludicrous in many contexts. Our discussion of malapropism is hence still a long ride from here. Then, we might as well warn you now to be prepared to laugh – even when this is about the serious matter of clarity and effective communication.

Here we go with a rib cracker for starters. It says:

“The Biometric Section has received some funding from the World Bank and will document the balanced 12 counties in the weeks to come.”

The funny malapropism here is the word “balanced” used instead of the more appropriate word “remaining.” Apparently, “some counties have been documented, leaving 12 counties outstanding. Remaining is therefore the more suitable word in that position. In the world of malapropisms, comics will never end, which is the reason some writers use the word ‘rest’ as balanced is used in the comics of the absurd here. Amuse yourself some more with the following gaffes also in the same mode: (a) “The Forestry Development Authority is under obligation to employ the balance (remaining) 18;” and (b) “The rest (remaining) US$1,600 will go towards youth employment” (“Pop” Errors in English: Writers Beware).

Balanced, balance and rest should never be used in those positions and contexts, as there are other ways of correctly expressing the intended messages. It is better to talk of the remaining 12 counties, the remainder of the counties, the remaining 18, the remaining $1,800, the rest of the people or the balance of the items. The lesson here: it is serious malapropism to use balanced, balance and rest as attributive adjectives to wrongly qualify those nouns they precede. So, the sentence should run thus:

“The Biometric Section has received some funding from the World Bank and will document the remaining 12 counties in the weeks to come.”

As indicated in an earlier column, malapropisms also affect phrases and idioms, thereby mangling meaning. Here is an example:

“The authority will seek partners to assist with equipment, logistics, stipends and similar.”

This is malapropian comics, also of the absurd variety. The phrase “and similar” is absolutely meaningless as it stands in this sentence. To lend the sentence meaning, replace the strange phrase with any of the following phrases: “and the like” (meaning and “a thing that is similar to” those already mentioned), and similar items, among others or and so on. This is how it will pan out:

“The authority will seek partners to assist with equipment, logistics, stipends and the like/and similar items/among others/and so on.”

“Pop” Errors in English: Writers Beware admonishes that “when you don’t pronounce correctly, you write incorrectly — and meaninglessly.” The writer of the following sentence is obviously heedless of this advice, hence the confusion of “thought” and “taught”:

“Courses thought will be engineering, carpentry, masonry, tailoring and computer literacy, among others.”

The word “thought” in this sentence is a malapropism of the word “taught,” the only sensible and meaningful element in the context. Taught, and not thought, is the past tense of teach. But because thought and taught seem to be sound-alikes to the writer and therefore pronounces them the same way, he confuses the words and sets the reader chuckling in bewilderment. Do your best to avoid such confusions

Ordinarily, there shouldn’t be any controversy about levelling an allegation against someone? However, there is cause for alarm when a writer does not recognise any difference between label and level and therefore expresses himself or herself as follows:

“The committee established to investigate allegations of sexual harassment labelled against a teacher in the high school has released its report.”

Correct usage is levelled instead of labelled. Here we need to be mindful of the meanings of the words “label” and “level.” The book referenced above offers some help, thus: “To label is to tag or attach, while to level against is to accuse someone of something. Logically, therefore, labelled against does not fit this context, and the incorrect collocation of label and against seems to emphasise the meaninglessness of the statement and the ignorance that informed the error, in the first instance.”

Any grammatical deficiency can always aggravate matters for careless writers. The malapropisms in the example below are manifestations of careless proofreading, poor spelling habits as well as disregard for correct register:

“Robbers have inflected bodily wound on the security-men.”

Good spelling habits and diligent proofreading will show that Inflicted is the word, not inflected. And prosecutors have forever been charging suspects with inflicting bodily harm, not bodily wound. Bodily harm refers to “physical injury.”

Now then, a light exercise. Spot the MALAPROPISMS in the following:

1. The Super Eagles will win the Bafana Bafana.
2. He was alleged of murder.
3. We are yet to access the completion of the project.
4. Congratulations for your success in the exams.
5. You cannot beat the deadline, except you speed things up.

Dear reader, we would appreciate your answers to the light exercise. Wishing you your best year yet ahead.