More examples of 'just follow hor/just follow lor!'...

Two days ago, I suggested that the term "bus hub" -- as coined by the Land Transport Authority -- was a misnomer for what is nothing more than an extended bus stop, or bus bay.

I also cited examples of other misnomers, such as "parking lot" when referring to a single parking space (or parking spot). As an afterthought, I dubbed this naming culture just follow hor/just follow lor! which is Singlish and which roughly means "This is what/how it should be" (the just follow hor part) and "Oh, okay, anything you say" (the just follow lor part).

In other words, it takes two hands to clap. Otherwise, how can it be that -- as used here -- a misnomer like "parking lot" (an American term that means a carpark) can be so readily accepted by Singaporeans, many of whom have travelled to America (and have seen how the term is used there) and to Britain (where carparks and parking spaces/spots are correctly used).

Most damningly, journalists here -- supposedly the guardians of good language usage -- have blithely accepted this inapt terminology. Thankfully, The Straits Times has now ensured that its editorial checkers, at least, abide by the "parking space" advisory. I am beginning to see other media and organisation spokesmen do likewise.

But this is just one small victory. Which brings me to my examples today...

Married children and their parents?

I first heard it on 93.8 radio yesterday. The news reader, obviously reading from a script automaton-like, said the Housing Board had unveiled a priority scheme for "married children and their parents" who jointly apply to live near each other.

Then, this is what I found this morning in the TODAY newspaper (29 March, page 3):

Yup, word for word. So the "origin of this species" must have been an HDB press release. The HDB decided on the obviously absurd "married children and their parents" instead of "married couples and their parents" and the radio and newspaper just followed, lor!

The secret wish to talk/write like officials?...

For ordinary folk (including journalists) who are careful language users, officialese and bureaucratese are a bane. When referring to organisations like the HDB, the article "the" -- ie, the HDB -- is needed. Of course, within the HDB and in its media releases, "the" will not be used. But The Straits Times is not part of the HDB...

TODAY, below,  got it right on this score (but not in the earlier "married children" story, above):

I also see many people who write letters to the press kick off with "I refer to..." or "With reference to...". Huh? Just make your point straightaway, as you were taught in school, unless you have a secret desire to speak and write like a bureaucrat.

Case of the 'deactivated' credit cards sent to customers...

Final example... can a bank "deactivate" a credit card and then sent it to a recipient customer? Of course not! In the story above, what the banks did -- to preempt fraudulent use by other people -- was to send "unactivated" (or "inactive") credit cards to their customers who then follow up with some required step/steps to "activate" the cards.

But, for some reason, some bank media release must have used the misnomer, "deactivated". It then became a case of "just follow hor/just follow lor!"