English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB)
Grammatical S’s for Prof. Gbenga Ibileye
Happy birthday to a man who has always got his ~bearing~ (nonstandard).
Happy birthday to a man who has always got his *bearings* (standard).
To get or find one’s bearings is to find out where one is or to find out what one should do next.
Never dare to disrespect Prof. Gbenga Ibileye if you don’t want to see Dr Toast’s ~true colour~ (nonstandard).
Never dare to disrespect Prof. Gbenga Ibileye if you don’t want to see Dr Toast’s *true colours* (standard).
If you see someone in their true colours or if they show their true colours, you realise what they are really like.
Cheers to a scholar who knows his ~onion~ (nonstandard).
Cheers to a scholar who knows his *onions* (standard).
To know one’s onions is to know a great deal about a particular subject.
GAB
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