By Gabriel Osoba

Errata

The following error has been found in last week’s publication of this column:

Correction

‘Are you a staff here?’ for ‘Are you a member of staff here?’

Note that a unit of staff is not referred to as ‘a staff’ but as ‘a member of staff’ (British English) or ‘staff member’ (American English). The correct expression is ‘Are you a member of staff here?’ A staff may refer to a long stick used as a support for walking or as a symbol of authority.

Covert        –        covet

Covert and covet are two different words. A single letter is often significant enough to mark the difference between one word and another. The presence or absence of ‘r’ marks the difference between the two words. Covert means ‘secret or hidden’. The opposite of covert is ‘overt’ which means ‘done in an open way not secretly’. Covet means ‘to want something very much, especially something that belongs to somebody else’. Do not confuse covert with covet.

Examples:

When I was in the secondary school, I had a covert hatred for our Mathematics teacher.

He stole a covert glance at the lady across the table.

You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife. (Exodus 20 vs 17)

Is there anyone who does not covet long life and prosperity?

I earnestly covet God’s grace in the life of Apostle Paul.

Cut your coat according to …

Many Nigerian users of English often say Cut your coat according to your size. This is a Nigerian variation of the English idiom Cut your coat according to your cloth. An idiom is a combination of words that have a figurative meaning that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made. Though idioms are often metaphorical and make the language more colourful, the words constituting them are fixed. The standard British equivalent of the Nigerian variation of the idiom is Cut your coat according to your cloth not “size’. Cut your coat according to your cloth means ‘to do only what you have enough money to do and no more’. In other words, ‘Let your expenditure be determined by your resources’.