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Have in store vs have in stock

Akeem Lasisi

Star actress, Eniola Badmus, has continued to enjoy stardom. Well, the fact that she appears to have successfully got her body trimmed has been winning more applause for her. Yet, there is something else she got right some days ago: a tricky English idiom.

When many want to idiomatically note that they have something planned for others, or they want to express a promise for the future, they say ‘I have something in stock for you.’ As we have noted in this class, this is grammatically wrong because the correct idiom is ‘have in store’. Holding today’s lesson as a revision, therefore, I am tempted to quote a statement from a post in which Badmus recently celebrated her birthday. Dramatically addressing herself through a letter, she noted (sic):

Eniola Badmus I am so thankful to God for all you have accomplished within these couple of years and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for you.

While there may be a slip in the sentence, the most important matter is that she demonstrated a beautiful handling of the idiom, in store. Always remember that it is not have in stock, but have in store:

You need to visit me tomorrow. I have something in stock for you. (Wrong)

You need to visit me tomorrow. I have something in store for you. (Correct)

The minister said Nigerians should be expectant because Buhari still has something in stock for them. (Wrong)

The minister said Nigerians should be expectant because Buhari still has something in store for them. (Correct)

But does this mean that ‘in stock’ is always wrong? No. It can be right – with a different meaning, though, as in when referring to the availability of some goods in a shop:

You can come for the bags of Ofada rice tomorrow. They are in stock now.

Direct address

Back to the actress’ statement, there is the need to point out the other slip I hinted at. It borders on an error that many people also commit; hence, the need to highlight it. The sentence again:

Eniola Badmus I am so thankful to God for all you have accomplished within these couple of years and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for you.

Note that there is the need for a comma after ‘Badmus’ because when you are addressing someone by first calling their name, you need to separate the name with a comma. So, it should read:

Eniola Badmus, I am so thankful to God for all you have accomplished …

Consider these too:

Daddy I want you to help me. (Wrong)

Daddy, I want you to help me. (Correct)

Funke how is the political journey unfolding? (Wrong)

Funke, how is the political journey unfolding? (Correct)

Sir I am set to go. (Wrong)

Sir, I am set to go. (Correct)

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