English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB)
CATACHRESIS
Can you let me use your *gallon* to fetch water (nonstandard)?
Can you let me use your *jerrycan* to fetch water (Popular Nigerian English)?
A gallon is a unit of measurement for liquids. It is not an object:
How much does a *gallon* of petrol cost (standard)?
Every tailor must have a *tape rule* (Popular Nigerian English).
Every tailor must have a *tape/tape measure* (standard).
A tape measure is a strip of metal, plastic, or cloth which has numbers marked on it and is used for measuring.
I need a new *torchlight* (Popular Nigerian English).
I need a new *torch* (standard).
I need a new *flashlight* (standard).
Torchlight is the light produced by a torch:
Our faces were lit by *torchlight* in the dark room (standard).
GAB
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