Common Errors

English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB)

COMMON ERROR

The government should encourage the country’s ~working class~ (nonstandard).
The government should encourage the country’s workforce (standard). Note that the group of people who work in a company, industry, country, etc is the workforce. Working class means a social group that consists of people who earn little money, often being paid only for the hours or days that they work, and who usually do physical work.

The president gave him a ~golden handshake~ (nonstandard).
The president gave him a hearty handshake (standard). A friendly and firm handshake is a hearty handshake while a golden handshake is a sum of money, usually large, given to an employee, either on retirement in recognition of long or excellent service or as compensation for loss of employment.
GAB