Category:

Australian English

Australia

Australian culture

Australian English: maths or math

By Nick Nasev

February 27, 2025

min read

Maths or Math? ✖️➗➕➖🟰

Seriously, a contentious question in Australia 🦘

I'm now back in Oz for the next two weeks, so as per usual I have my ear to the ground and eyes wide open to hear and see what's the latest with Australian English.

Here's the first thing I've noticed.

So my nephew just told me how much he hates "math". Nothing out of the ordinary... or is it?

Growing up in Australia many, many decades ago, Aussies were adamant that "maths" is the "correct" abbreviated term and that "math" is, I quote, "an American abomination".

Well, fast forward to now and you'll find many younger Aussies saying they study "math".

And how do many (particularly older) Aussies react to "math"?

According to social media comments and a rather massive Reddit sub-thread dedicated solely to Australians arguing over math vs maths... with rage! 🤬💡

Goes to show that even the little things can alienate an audience, so it's best to consult linguistic experts in the field when it comes to targeting your text and copy for specific audiences. And for Australia, I'm here for you! Let's talk. Email me at info@nicknasev.com.

Hi, zdravo, bok, zdravei, g'day! I’m Nick Nasev, an Aussie of Balkan background living in the UK. I’ve been a translator and editor for 20+ years. If you have an interest in languages and all things Balkan, Eastern European, Australian and beyond, along with a dash of corny and irony, then stick with me as I rant about my experiences and stories.

Your text deserves to be taken seriously; have it translated and edited with confidence.

info@nicknasev.com

Contact me with the details of your text at info@nicknasev.com

Continue reading

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What's my 'mother language'?

International Mother Language Day and Global Language Advocacy Day are on! So what do I consider to be my 'mother languages' and why one of them is under threat...

January 8, 2025

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Subtitling is easy, right?

Some notes on how subtitling is not simply plonking words on a screen

November 19, 2024

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Indian and Australian English... the links between them

India and Australia have common bonds that go beyond a passion for cricket. Here are a few words that Indian and Australian English uniquely share...

October 15, 2024

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The time US military officials used a computer to predict the outcome of the Vietnam War...

A cautionary tale about how human behaviour overrides data

October 14, 2024

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"Merci" is how you say "thank you" in which language?

It may come as a surprise but it's not just in French...

September 6, 2024

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"Can you identify the text here?"

Did you know that people regularly contact me to identify text they can't decipher. That's what happens when I know a number of languages.

October 23, 2023

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You know that time when Madonna was interviewed by a Hungarian tabloid? Or when translation goes hilariously bad…

We all know how some translations can be so bad that they’re unintentionally hilarious, like the viral examples from Engrish.com...

September 14, 2023

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Working in IT? What do you call yourself? An IT-ian, a Hitechist…?

Working in IT? 👩🏻‍💻 Would you call yourself an IT-ian, Hitechist or Startupist?

August 28, 2023

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Watch out for the killer squirrels! It’s “silly season”… or is that “cucumber season”?

Watch out for the killer squirrels! 🐿️ We’re very much in “silly season” right now in the UK 🤪

August 26, 2023

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Tina Turner… Australian cultural icon!

Did you know that Tina Turner has been one of the biggest contributors to Australian culture? 🦘 Honestly, her impact has been huge! Here’s how…

August 24, 2023

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You do Montenegrin and Bosnian, right?

Two more language directions have been added to my Institute of Translation and Interpreting profile

August 23, 2023

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Generic or specific? The issue stopping the free-trade agreement between the EU and Australia

Would you believe that the names of all these famous products are the cause for the deadlock in the free-trade agreement negotiations between the EU 🇪🇺 and Australia 🇦🇺. How come?

August 21, 2023

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Smoker’s remorse… or how false friends can be deeply expressive

🟰 Words that look the same or similar in two languages but have two, at times radically, different meanings are called “false friends”.

June 22, 2023

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So what are Fantales?

They are chocolate-covered chewy caramels 🍬 that were often so hard to bite into that they kept many dentists in business 🦷. Nothing particularly unique so far, you might think.