TELAWAA: Wednesday, December 30, 2015
A friend of mine, Victoria Fagbemi, who is also a grammarian, once told me that the most interesting of the lessons she gets on TELAWAA is the one where I cautioned that the word "tantalise/tantaliser" has often been used wrongly.
Let me bring it up again:
I hear most people say something like:
"My boyfriend took me out and tantalised me"; "A gentlemen would take her lady out for a date and tantalise her."
The first person, probably, meant to say her boyfriend gave her a very romantic and lovely treat, just like the second.
Sorry, the verb "tantalise" doesn't mean "nice treat".
Let me tell you: It means "depriving someone of something by merely showing them and not giving it to them".
In fact, someone that tantalises you is that person that torments or frustrates you.
Can you now ask that eatery what they mean by the name they have: "Tantalizers" ?
Are you surprised? I guess you are!
Check your dictionary, please.
Now, is there any lesson from TELAWAA that you find most interesting?
Talk to me, if there is any of such, please.
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