I AM A NIGERIAN (Part 1)

Hello,

Nigerians are very funny and humorous people. If you’re thinking of traveling to Nigeria, you should expect a lot of fun and amusement. In the course of “catching cruise,” some expressions are used without realizing that they either do not exist or they are not used as they ought to be used.

While some use these wrong words and expressions deliberately(in order to pass some messages across), others don’t even know they’re making mistakes.

I’ve put together a handful of them for your perusal.

If you’re reading this piece as a Nigerian, kindly add some words and phrases that I’ve deliberately omitted but are used or heard by you and people around you.

(1) I’ll never repeat it again

Example:I am very sorry I came late today. I promise never to repeat it again. ❌

To repeat is to do (something) again or more than once. It’s also something that occurs or is done again. The phrase is therefore a tautology; the saying of the same thing twice over in different words, generally considered to be a fault of style or phrase. The same thing is said twice in different words. You could simply say, “I’ll never repeat my actions.” ✅

(2) Night Vigil

Example: I’m going for a night vigil today. ❌

A vigil is the rite of staying awake especially for devotional purposes. It’s a watch kept in the sleeping hours (for diverse purposes). The 'night' implies or signifies the 'sleeping hours'. Since 'vigil' is a watch kept in the night, it is therefore wrong to say that one goes for a night vigil. You should just call it a vigil. ✅

(3) Reverse Back

Example: Let us reverse back to the house. ❌
Reverse already means; to change the direction, order, position, result, etc. of something to its opposite. So, if an object is in motion, it can be reversed. And when it is in reverse, it's surely coming back to it's initial position. No point adding Back to it.

You could reverse to the house or go back to the house.✅

(4) Plate Number

Example: The police stopped me yesterday for not having a plate number. ❌

Most Nigerians including traffic law enforcement agents use the word Plate Number, which is very wrong. It is the plate that is bearing the number and not the other way round, the right expression is number plate. Kindly confirm from your dictionaries and browsers.

(5) Barb/Barbing

Example: I will barb my hair on Saturday. ❌

This is very common among Nigerian men. Barb or Barbing does exist in the English dictionary but it has nothing to do with haircuts. You can go have your haircut at the Barbershop but you cannot Barb your hair because Barb means; a sharp projection near the end of an arrow, fish hook, or similar objects. Do not argue with me. Do a little research before you say a word. 😂😂

(6) Short Knicker

Example: Every boy at the beach was wearing a short knicker. ❌

Knickers are simply short pants. They are loose-fitting 'short' trousers gathered in at the knees. The British call it Knickers while Americans call it Shorts. Nigerians call it Short Knickers which is very wrong. It is either you call it Knickers or you call it Shorts.

I know I’ve left some out. Kindly include them in the comments section. Part 2 is on the way. Stay tuned for more!!!