'Dry' not 'soft'

One may wet lease or dry lease. Wet lease is complete and ready to make full use of and dry lease is incomplete.

In the English vocabulary "dry" is used to denote the absence of certain matter hence a stage performance without an audience is termed "dry run" as well as rehearsal.

The grand opening of the unfinished Mater Dei Hospital is being referred to as a "soft opening" which is an incorrect description of the event. The PR gurus employed by our government to propagate the event should have used the term "dry opening" or "dry inaugural" and we may also get the opportunity for a "wet opening" when the hospital is fully operational.

In the event of a repeat performance when rain starts and the hospital's roof leaks again, the "wet opening" celebrations will have a literal meaning.