English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB)
CLARIFYING WORDS AND USAGES
He built a ~bogus~ house close to my school (nonstandard).
He built a huge house close to my school (standard). The word, bogus, is often erroneously used to mean something large or enormous, whereas to be bogus means to be untrue ungenuine:
Your claim seems to be bogus. ✔️
I need the police to arrest the dupe (nonstandard).
I need the police to arrest the fraudster (standard). A person who commits fraud, especially in business dealings, is a fraudster while the person defrauded is the dupe.
I’ve been a dupe twice so I don’t think business is for me. ✔️
Note, however, that as a verb, dupe means to defraud someone. So, a dupe is the person that is duped.
Her reason for the action is not ~far-fetched~ (nonstandard).
Her reason for the action is obvious (standard). Although the meanings almost appear similar, there is a difference between what the word, far-fetched, means and how it is used by many a Nigerian. Something is far-fetched when it is unlikely to be true or difficult to believe so when something is said not to be far-fetched, it means it is believable, not necessarily that it is obvious as often used by many second language users.
The reason for her action is not far-fetched (this means the reason for her action is believable or true). ✔️
GAB
