Many of us would not think it seriously that the choice of words written or vocalised could make or mar our relationship with close or distant neighbours, friends and acquaintances. Believe it or not, people have taken to the trenches and built walls of hatred around them just as we have witnessed in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine because of breakdown in communication. Especially so, when pride, one of the deadly sins stated in the Holy book takes the front seat and humility, a cardinal virtue is relegated to the back seat. What do one expect? Conflict, of course, even as the Bible puts it succinctly in St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians 2:3 “Don’t do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble towards one another, considering others better than yourselves”. Is the Russian president, Putin and the likes listening? This is the dilemma of mankind, or should I say, humankind to appease the gender sensitive persons. Communicate your ideas and opinions with a tinge of humility and naturally one would be understood without cause to retaliate.
Poor communication could fuel crisis while good communication on the other hand would make sense and build a healthy society. And so it is with the choice of words, but unfortunately some people spit fire in attempt to state their side of the story or correct someone without knowing it, and of course, later regret their action. I recalled some years back in a bus I boarded from Orile-Iganmu to Oshodi, something funny, or should I say this scenario or mild drama played out which threw the passengers into fits of laughter. There was this middle aged man, probably in his early 40s with little education, I guess, who was telling a friend or companion in the bus how he narrowly escaped from being robbed by a gang of hoodlums. He went on referring to them as “army robbers,” repeatedly doing so, when he meant to say “armed robbers”, but the slip of tongue or poor pronunciation gave him away. Meanwhile, an army officer was sitting close by in the same bus while this man was ranting, demonstrating how he freed himself from the firm grip of the gun wielding “army” robbers and escaped unhurt. The countenance of the decorated soldier who sat in the passenger’s seat next to the driver while the bus was still on motion suddenly changed. He wasted no time, at a point when the bus stopped to discharge some of the passengers, he stood up grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt, shook him violently, demanding that he explains the exact spot the “army” robbers attempted to rob him. It took the swift intervention of other passengers in the bus to calm down the visibly angry officer.
The offender regretted his action having misfired after being reprimanded to mind his language. See what error in communication or malapropism- the unintentional misuse of a word, usually with comic effect through confusion with another word that sounds similar but have different meaning, the Chambers 21st Century dictionary says so; can inflict on someone who believed he was saying the right thing, “armed” robber for “army” robber. For our case study, when one speaks or writes “the likes of,” perhaps in a bid to draw comparison, such statements are used in a derogatory or contemptuous manner, the Chambers 21st Century dictionary makes us to understand it so. Things we despised, including the haughty and manner less people or gang we see around us or we frequently encounter on the streets of Lagos fall under this category. These are people we wouldn’t like to associate with or have anything much to do with. Something or things of the same kind that scares us, then we could speak or write “the likes of the notorious thief caught red-handed when he attempted to rob some houses in the neighbourhood”, one could correctly write, for instance. The adjective, “like” points to something similar, resembling, just as like as two peas or two pens. The “like” could also be used in asking someone for a description of someone or something.
For example one may ask, “What is he like?” In the same manner as; to the same event as. Comparison; animals like cats and dogs. These are some of the examples cited by the reference book, Chambers 21st Century dictionary on the correct engagement of the phrases, “the like of ” and “the likes of ”. Again, the expression, “the like of” is positive when comparing who and what share similar characters or behaviours; while the statement, “the likes of” is negative in the sense that it portrays the comparison in bad light and uncomplimentary. One can correctly write or speak, “the like of Jay-Jay Okocha”, the footballer who made waves playing for top Europeans clubs in the 90s, while “the likes of” the notorious armed robber, Anini statement fit in exactly when comparing or referring to people who break the law at will and constitute nuisance to society.
