Category:
Macedonia
Macedonian
Nick Nasev
Честит Илинден!
By Nick Nasev
August 2, 2026
1
min read
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
August 3, 2026
1
min read
Wartime witch hunts
How binary discourses in war societies where everything is black and white creates the environment to brutally attack anyone who questions this
Read more
August 3, 2026
3
min read
Australian English: rort
Are you rorting the system? Do you find your job a bit of a rort? Or are you up for a rort this weekend? What the Australian term "rort" means and where did it come from.
Read more
August 1, 2026
6
min read
Australian English: football, soccer... and root
A guide to Australia's sporting vocabulary—from football codes to the very naughty meaning of "rooting" for your team.
Read more
July 30, 2026
13
min read
2001: A Balkan Odyssey. Part 1 "I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to worry you"
Part 1 of my most Balkan trip ever, in 2001. With two extraordinary missions to complete, hurdles along the way ushered me instead into a unique Balkan experience. This is my story...
Read more
July 28, 2026
3
min read
Australian English: spruik
Time for me to spruik the very uniquely Australian term spruik. What does it mean and where did it come from?
Read more
July 27, 2026
2
min read
Anchor clients and the power of reminders
What are anchor clients and how I was able to regain one thanks to sound advice on using reminders
Read more
July 25, 2026
1
min read
Watch my talk on Balkan multilingualism
My talk about Balkan multilingualism can be seen now!
Read more
July 24, 2026
10
min read
Hotel, bridge, landmark: Novi Pazar’s Hotel Vrbak is 50!
The hotel that’s a casbah and a bridge in more ways than one, as well as one of the finest examples of socialist Yugoslav orientalist architecture. A look into the hotel, its city and region.
Read more
July 22, 2026
4
min read
Olivera Katarina (1940–2026)
The only woman the great Salvador Dalí knelt for. The glory, mystique and controversy surrounding this celebrated Yugoslav and Serbian actress and singer.
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July 22, 2026
2
min read
What's the obvious sign of a lazy translation from English into any other language?
Translation is supposed to convey info from one language to another, but if you just use the words only tweaked from the source language, then you're doing a disservice.
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July 21, 2026
1
min read
I found the actual Ken Lee!!!
This has had me laughing all day. If you know, you know!
Read more
July 19, 2026
3
min read
1990 – my most favourite World Cup, and how I lost love for Yugoslavia
How the 1990 World Cup was my most favourite one ever... but also the last straw for me with my relation the slowly combusting Yugoslavia
Read more
July 18, 2026
2
min read
How Bulgaria soared and sunk at the World Cup in the 1990s
The World Cup grand finale is on this weekend. Let's remember how Bulgaria did well in 1994 but failed in 1998. And what happened to 1994 star Lechkov?
Read more
July 15, 2026
4
min read
Oldtimers, dancings and packets ... but are they English words?
Welcome to the crazy world of "false friends" and "pseudo-anglicisms"... they look like English words but they're not
Read more
July 6, 2026
10
min read
Dishlicker, check-out chick, doover? The yeah nahs and nah yeahs of the Oxford Dictionary's new Australian English additions
Wotz hot and wotz not?! Your resident Australian English localiser goes through the Oxford English Dictionary's latest Aussie slang additions and gives a propa Aussie verdict.
Read more
July 4, 2026
1
min read
What's the latest with Honeyland star Atidje Muratova?
Good news: she's still looking after her bees.
Read more
July 3, 2026
17
min read
Tales from ethnic radio (the end)
Going from fax to internet... and into armed ethnic conflict. And how war hits harder when you actually have to deal with its brutal consequences.
Read more
July 2, 2026
2
min read
Australian English: EOFY
This initialism represents one of the most important dates on Australia's financial calendar. What does it mean and what you should know about it?
Read more
July 1, 2026
13
min read
Australian English: dreaming and dream
How “dream” and "dreaming" in Australia came to describe the sacred, the suburban, the satirical and the simply delusional, and what this says about the country that uses these words these ways.
Read more
June 30, 2026
2
min read
Vlado Janevski (1960-2026)
One of Macedonia's biggest pop stars has gone to his starry sky far away
Read more
August 3, 2026
3
min read
Australian English: rort
Are you rorting the system? Do you find your job a bit of a rort? Or are you up for a rort this weekend? What the Australian term "rort" means and where did it come from.
Read more
August 1, 2026
6
min read
Australian English: football, soccer... and root
A guide to Australia's sporting vocabulary—from football codes to the very naughty meaning of "rooting" for your team.
Read more
July 28, 2026
3
min read
Australian English: spruik
Time for me to spruik the very uniquely Australian term spruik. What does it mean and where did it come from?
Read more
July 6, 2026
10
min read
Dishlicker, check-out chick, doover? The yeah nahs and nah yeahs of the Oxford Dictionary's new Australian English additions
Wotz hot and wotz not?! Your resident Australian English localiser goes through the Oxford English Dictionary's latest Aussie slang additions and gives a propa Aussie verdict.
Read more
July 2, 2026
2
min read
Australian English: EOFY
This initialism represents one of the most important dates on Australia's financial calendar. What does it mean and what you should know about it?
Read more
July 1, 2026
13
min read
Australian English: dreaming and dream
How “dream” and "dreaming" in Australia came to describe the sacred, the suburban, the satirical and the simply delusional, and what this says about the country that uses these words these ways.
Read more
June 26, 2026
3
min read
Australian English: going troppo and mango madness
It's hot and everyone's a bit heat-affected... well, we Aussies have the perfect sayings to describe this craziness!
Read more
June 25, 2026
1
min read
Australian English: going troppo
The heat and humidity can do weird things to people, so that's why Aussies have this saying to explain it all...
Read more
June 9, 2026
1
min read
Do Australians understand US English?
Many clients try to pass off their US English texts and copy for Australia. While most Aussies will get it, there's a large section of the Australian public that won't. Who are these people?
Read more
May 18, 2026
1
min read
What is one of Australia's iconic sounds?
No, it's nothing to do with an animal call. It's a sound that international music stars have even sampled...
Read more
May 13, 2026
5
min read
Australian English: '-or' vs '-our'
"But '-or' spellings are American?" has said many an Aussie. But are they really? Not exactly. Find out how and where there are exceptions to the rule in Australian English.
Read more
May 8, 2026
4
min read
Why Australian media give warnings of deceased Indigenous people?
The recent case of Kumajayi Little Baby shows how Australian media handle indigenous mourning protocols. Here are the details and background to them.
Read more
April 25, 2026
11
min read
Australian English: Anzac Day
Parades, dawn services, two-up, biscuits... What you need to know about Australia (and New Zealand's) veteran's day. Plus, why the day is more important to some Aussies than others.
Read more
April 3, 2026
2
min read
Australian English: Easter and shops
What's open and what's not this Easter in Australia...Time to give a real-life example of Australian English.
Read more
March 27, 2026
2
min read
Australian English: pokies
Found in most pubs, clubs and casinos throughout Australia, the pokies are an important feature of Australian social culture. But what are they? Find out here...
Read more
March 24, 2026
5
min read
You fetta believe it! Australian feta, parmesan and prosecco remain.
Feta or white cheese? Prosecco or sparkling wine? How will the new EU-Australia free-trade agreement (not) affect the terms Aussies use for certain products
Read more
March 18, 2026
4
min read
Australian English: farewell and vale
No, I'm not leaving here. Linguistically, Australians actually have unique ways of bidding farewell to someone who's going for a long time... or forever.
Read more
February 23, 2026
1
min read
Australian English: to farewell
Yet another unexpected Australian-ism I and an internet superstar recently discovered...
Read more
February 18, 2026
2
min read
Australian English: demo
Aussies love shortening words and ending cutesy endings to them. But what happens when the same shortened word could mean multiple things?
Read more
February 16, 2026
2
min read
Australians laughing at ChatGPT's US English default when Aussies use it
If Australia's answer to the Onion is making fun of how AI uses US English as a default, then that means Aussies notice when you're using it in your text and copy. But there's a solution to this...
Read more
January 2, 2026
1
min read
When coins matter: stotinki and sixpence for Christmas
Big issue of the day – what coin do you use for your lucky-coin Christmas tradition? It matters to many in the Balkans AND Australia
Read more
September 10, 2025
2
min read
Australian English: thongs
Aussies love wearing thongs outdoors. But does "thongs" mean the same in Australia as it does in other countries? Find out here...
Read more
June 6, 2025
2
min read
Australian English: abroad vs overseas
There are a number of seemingly ordinary English words that can get Aussies thinking 'that's not right'. Here's the case with one...?
Read more
April 23, 2025
2
min read
Chinwag Tuesday podcast with Amanda Boyne
Want to hear how I speak in Australian English with another Australian English specialist? Here's your chance
Read more
February 28, 2025
2
min read
Australian English: tap, tag or touch?
How do you describe using a payment card to use public transport in Australia? It depends where in Australia you are...
Read more
February 27, 2025
2
min read
Australian English: maths or math
Want to get Aussies angry? Ask this mathematical question...
Read more
January 29, 2025
3
min read
Do I translate into Australian?
Many people are shocked when they find out I'm a translator, but their jaws drop even more when I tell them that I also 'translate' into Australian English.
Read more
January 26, 2025
4
min read
Australia Day memories
Some memories of mine of 26 January, Australia Day
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January 25, 2025
5
min read
Australia Day/Invasion Day: the Lamb Ad!
Would you believe that one of the most anticipated events in the lead-up to Australia's national day on 26 January is... an ad about eating lamb! More about the vibe here...
Read more
December 19, 2024
2
min read
Australia and New Zealand do seasons a little differently...
Why wishing your clients, friends and relatives in Australia a happy start to summer on December 21st is not the way to do it...
Read more
December 11, 2024
5
min read
Australian English: peanut butter or peanut paste?
Tread carefully! The extraordinary story of this salty Australian regionalism and how it can ignite passions worthy of a civil war.
Read more
November 7, 2024
2
min read
What's the name of this famous Australian natural landmark?
One of Australia's most visited tourist sites has two official names, but Aussies almost exclusively use one of them. Do you know which one?
Read more
October 29, 2024
2
min read
Australia and trick-or-treating... a minefield
If there's anything that can get some Aussies hot under the collar, it's this...
Read more
September 11, 2024
2
min read
Australian English: is it email and/or e-mail?
Welcome to confusion with "email" in Australia. It's generational...
Read more
July 31, 2024
2
min read
Australian (Olympics) English: battered sav, hello boys, crazy date, flat bags, goose...
How a comedy routine during the 2000 Sydney Olympics provided Australia with its own, very naughty, gymnastics lexicon!
Read more
July 28, 2024
1
min read
Why are Aussies so good at swimming?
To get away from the sharks! Nah, it's more than that.
Read more
July 25, 2024
1
min read
The [enter place name] Olympics are going to be a disaster...
Or perhaps not. It wouldn't be an Olympics if there wasn't impending doom. But how has it actually turned out?
Read more
July 4, 2024
2
min read
Who's gonna win: Sunderland or Newcastle? Fancy a Democracy Sausage? Or take a ride on the "Bulgarian Train"
Vote-count competitions between rival cities? How a mundane sausage in generic white bread is the epitome of mass democratic participation in Australia. And why a Bulgarian train is not a train. The weird world of election traditions.
Read more
June 30, 2024
3
min read
Pets on public transport: yes or no? 👍👎
Australians adore pets... but not on public transport. How come?
Read more
June 30, 2024
3
min read
Accadacca at 50!
One of the world's biggest ever rock bands has turned 50!
Read more
June 21, 2024
4
min read
Australian English: "We're de factos!"
Many Australians are in "de facto relationships". What are these and how do they differ from marriage?
Read more
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May 22, 2024
2
min read
Poor Gina...
The lady doth protest too much, methinks. Australia's richest woman, mining magnate Gina Rinehart got more than what she bargained for when she wanted a portrait of her taken down. And how does wine figure into this too?
Read more
April 6, 2024
5
min read
ABBA can thank Australia for the music!
50 years after ABBA won the Eurovision Song Content, it was Australia that set the tone for ABBA's fortunes over the decades. This is their Australian story.
Read more
August 31, 2023
1
min read
Australian etiquette: the Outback Driving Wave
It’s all about being friendly when driving out in “woop woop” (the middle of nowhere) in Australia. A definite must-do!
Read more
June 26, 2023
1
min read
Homonyms maketh the sentence…
How do you say in Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin or Serbian this: “Up there, the mountains burn worse”?👉 Gore gore gore gore.
Read more
June 1, 2023
1
min read
Happy 50th anniversary to the Adelaide Festival Centre!
🎉 50 years ago today, the Adelaide Festival Centre, the premier performing and visual arts venue and precinct in Adelaide, Australia, opened. The centre to this day remains one of the symbols of Adelaide. 🇦🇺
Read more
April 12, 2023
2
min read
Australian English: "You can find the Doonas in Manchester”
Now this might sound a bit random but this is something you’ll hear all the time, in all places, in department stores in Australia. How come?
Read more
March 28, 2023
1
min read
The time when George Bush Senior figuratively told the Aussies where to go…
Have you unwittingly done a hand gesture that meant something completely different in another country? Here’s a true story…
Read more
August 3, 2026
3
min read
Australian English: rort
Are you rorting the system? Do you find your job a bit of a rort? Or are you up for a rort this weekend? What the Australian term "rort" means and where did it come from.
Read more
August 1, 2026
6
min read
Australian English: football, soccer... and root
A guide to Australia's sporting vocabulary—from football codes to the very naughty meaning of "rooting" for your team.
Read more
July 28, 2026
3
min read
Australian English: spruik
Time for me to spruik the very uniquely Australian term spruik. What does it mean and where did it come from?
Read more
July 6, 2026
10
min read
Dishlicker, check-out chick, doover? The yeah nahs and nah yeahs of the Oxford Dictionary's new Australian English additions
Wotz hot and wotz not?! Your resident Australian English localiser goes through the Oxford English Dictionary's latest Aussie slang additions and gives a propa Aussie verdict.
Read more
July 2, 2026
2
min read
Australian English: EOFY
This initialism represents one of the most important dates on Australia's financial calendar. What does it mean and what you should know about it?
Read more
July 1, 2026
13
min read
Australian English: dreaming and dream
How “dream” and "dreaming" in Australia came to describe the sacred, the suburban, the satirical and the simply delusional, and what this says about the country that uses these words these ways.
Read more
June 26, 2026
3
min read
Australian English: going troppo and mango madness
It's hot and everyone's a bit heat-affected... well, we Aussies have the perfect sayings to describe this craziness!
Read more
June 25, 2026
1
min read
Australian English: going troppo
The heat and humidity can do weird things to people, so that's why Aussies have this saying to explain it all...
Read more
June 22, 2026
2
min read
Do you know what a "phrasal verb" is?
Most native English speakers have no idea about this very common feature of English, even though they use them all the time. As for others, they're a nightmare.
Read more
June 9, 2026
1
min read
Do Australians understand US English?
Many clients try to pass off their US English texts and copy for Australia. While most Aussies will get it, there's a large section of the Australian public that won't. Who are these people?
Read more
May 18, 2026
1
min read
What is one of Australia's iconic sounds?
No, it's nothing to do with an animal call. It's a sound that international music stars have even sampled...
Read more
May 13, 2026
5
min read
Australian English: '-or' vs '-our'
"But '-or' spellings are American?" has said many an Aussie. But are they really? Not exactly. Find out how and where there are exceptions to the rule in Australian English.
Read more
May 8, 2026
4
min read
Why Australian media give warnings of deceased Indigenous people?
The recent case of Kumajayi Little Baby shows how Australian media handle indigenous mourning protocols. Here are the details and background to them.
Read more
April 25, 2026
11
min read
Australian English: Anzac Day
Parades, dawn services, two-up, biscuits... What you need to know about Australia (and New Zealand's) veteran's day. Plus, why the day is more important to some Aussies than others.
Read more
April 3, 2026
2
min read
Australian English: Easter and shops
What's open and what's not this Easter in Australia...Time to give a real-life example of Australian English.
Read more
March 27, 2026
2
min read
Australian English: pokies
Found in most pubs, clubs and casinos throughout Australia, the pokies are an important feature of Australian social culture. But what are they? Find out here...
Read more
March 24, 2026
5
min read
You fetta believe it! Australian feta, parmesan and prosecco remain.
Feta or white cheese? Prosecco or sparkling wine? How will the new EU-Australia free-trade agreement (not) affect the terms Aussies use for certain products
Read more
March 18, 2026
4
min read
Australian English: farewell and vale
No, I'm not leaving here. Linguistically, Australians actually have unique ways of bidding farewell to someone who's going for a long time... or forever.
Read more
February 23, 2026
1
min read
Australian English: to farewell
Yet another unexpected Australian-ism I and an internet superstar recently discovered...
Read more
February 18, 2026
2
min read
Australian English: demo
Aussies love shortening words and ending cutesy endings to them. But what happens when the same shortened word could mean multiple things?
Read more
February 16, 2026
2
min read
Australians laughing at ChatGPT's US English default when Aussies use it
If Australia's answer to the Onion is making fun of how AI uses US English as a default, then that means Aussies notice when you're using it in your text and copy. But there's a solution to this...
Read more
February 2, 2026
2
min read
How you can tell that an Australian wrote English text... without being told?
Are your international customers getting your message? Are you aware that some of the words, phrases and terms you use could have no or a different meaning elsewhere. That's where you need your copy and text reviewed for your target audience.
Read more
October 14, 2025
1
min read
So I go all the way to Australia to do this...
Off to the beach? Avoid the snakes and sharks? No... something completely different but expected from me.
Read more
September 10, 2025
2
min read
Australian English: thongs
Aussies love wearing thongs outdoors. But does "thongs" mean the same in Australia as it does in other countries? Find out here...
Read more
July 31, 2025
2
min read
Australian English: programme vs program
Which one is the accepted spelling in Australia? You might be surprised at the answer!
Read more
June 6, 2025
2
min read
Australian English: abroad vs overseas
There are a number of seemingly ordinary English words that can get Aussies thinking 'that's not right'. Here's the case with one...?
Read more
April 23, 2025
2
min read
Chinwag Tuesday podcast with Amanda Boyne
Want to hear how I speak in Australian English with another Australian English specialist? Here's your chance
Read more
February 28, 2025
2
min read
Australian English: tap, tag or touch?
How do you describe using a payment card to use public transport in Australia? It depends where in Australia you are...
Read more
February 27, 2025
2
min read
Australian English: maths or math
Want to get Aussies angry? Ask this mathematical question...
Read more
January 29, 2025
3
min read
Do I translate into Australian?
Many people are shocked when they find out I'm a translator, but their jaws drop even more when I tell them that I also 'translate' into Australian English.
Read more
January 25, 2025
5
min read
Australia Day/Invasion Day: the Lamb Ad!
Would you believe that one of the most anticipated events in the lead-up to Australia's national day on 26 January is... an ad about eating lamb! More about the vibe here...
Read more
December 19, 2024
2
min read
Australia and New Zealand do seasons a little differently...
Why wishing your clients, friends and relatives in Australia a happy start to summer on December 21st is not the way to do it...
Read more
December 11, 2024
5
min read
Australian English: peanut butter or peanut paste?
Tread carefully! The extraordinary story of this salty Australian regionalism and how it can ignite passions worthy of a civil war.
Read more
November 26, 2024
2
min read
Macquarie Dictionary's 2024 word of the year is...
Australia's prime source for all things Australian English has picked its word for 2024. And this time, I agree!
Read more
November 19, 2024
3
min read
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...
Read more
November 7, 2024
2
min read
What's the name of this famous Australian natural landmark?
One of Australia's most visited tourist sites has two official names, but Aussies almost exclusively use one of them. Do you know which one?
Read more
October 23, 2024
6
min read
Can the "world's most accurate translator" do Australian English?
Does DeepL live up to its claim of being "the world's most accurate translator" when it comes to Aussie English? Get ready for some zingers!
Read more
September 11, 2024
2
min read
Australian English: is it email and/or e-mail?
Welcome to confusion with "email" in Australia. It's generational...
Read more
July 31, 2024
2
min read
Australian (Olympics) English: battered sav, hello boys, crazy date, flat bags, goose...
How a comedy routine during the 2000 Sydney Olympics provided Australia with its own, very naughty, gymnastics lexicon!
Read more
July 28, 2024
1
min read
Why are Aussies so good at swimming?
To get away from the sharks! Nah, it's more than that.
Read more
June 21, 2024
4
min read
Australian English: "We're de factos!"
Many Australians are in "de facto relationships". What are these and how do they differ from marriage?
Read more
May 22, 2024
2
min read
Poor Gina...
The lady doth protest too much, methinks. Australia's richest woman, mining magnate Gina Rinehart got more than what she bargained for when she wanted a portrait of her taken down. And how does wine figure into this too?
Read more
August 31, 2023
1
min read
Australian etiquette: the Outback Driving Wave
It’s all about being friendly when driving out in “woop woop” (the middle of nowhere) in Australia. A definite must-do!
Read more
August 28, 2023
2
min read
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 🤪
Read more
August 14, 2023
3
min read
Three everyday words that exist in Australian English only!
Ask what’s most unique about Australian English 🪃, the answers usually are our accent and slang✔️. However, there are also a number of uniquely Australian English words in regular use, even in formal situations, that Australians are surprised to find are not used everywhere else in the English-speaking world (OK, sometimes also in New Zealand🥝, […]
Read more
June 30, 2023
3
min read
Watch out, here comes the Aussie version of The Office…
Are you a fan of the cult TV comedy show The Office?🕺And which version: the UK one 🇬🇧? The US one 🇺🇸? The French one 🇫🇷? The Indian one 🇮🇳 or any of the other 13 variants made? 📣 News in is that an Australian 🇦🇺 version of The Office will be hitting our screens […]
Read more
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April 12, 2023
2
min read
Australian English: "You can find the Doonas in Manchester”
Now this might sound a bit random but this is something you’ll hear all the time, in all places, in department stores in Australia. How come?
Read more
March 28, 2023
1
min read
The time when George Bush Senior figuratively told the Aussies where to go…
Have you unwittingly done a hand gesture that meant something completely different in another country? Here’s a true story…
Read more
January 24, 2023
2
min read
Seachange, Treechange, E-change
Something Australian (but no way uniquely) today…Do you fancy an escape from the rat race and going for a seachange 🌊, treechange 🌳 or e-change 💻?
Read more
July 25, 2026
1
min read
Watch my talk on Balkan multilingualism
My talk about Balkan multilingualism can be seen now!
Read more
July 15, 2026
4
min read
Oldtimers, dancings and packets ... but are they English words?
Welcome to the crazy world of "false friends" and "pseudo-anglicisms"... they look like English words but they're not
Read more
June 29, 2026
2
min read
The most important question for a certified translation of a personal document not in Latin script?
It's the simplest of things that can cause the most trouble. And when it comes to certified translations, getting this right is crucial!
Read more
May 20, 2026
2
min read
Two years as a Chartered Linguist!
Two years ago I attained the highest qualification for translators, Chartered Linguist. And I'm the only one in the UK for the languages I work from.
Read more
May 5, 2026
1
min read
5 May – Macedonian Language Day
How come Macedonian Language Day is on 5 May, and what strict rule makes spoken Macedonian sound so distinct?
Read more
April 29, 2026
17
min read
Tales from ethnic radio (part 3)
What happens when our listeners can't understand what's supposed to be "their" language? The battle between standard languages and their dialects.
Read more
January 6, 2026
2
min read
Македонски јазик: Божик или Божиќ?
Секоја година пред празникот се појавува истата дилема: Која форма е „помакедонска“? Еве го одговорот базиран на истражувањата на проф. д-р Елка Јачева-Улчар.
Read more
February 20, 2025
4
min read
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...
Read more
February 8, 2025
6
min read
Slovenian, the odd one out
I translate into English from all Southern Slavic languages except one. Sorry, I can't do Slovenian. Here's my apology.
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November 29, 2024
4
min read
Serbo-Croatian? Yes, I still work from it.
3 decades have passed since it officially ceased to exist but I still get requests to translate from Serbo-Croatian. How come?
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November 24, 2024
2
min read
I'm now a full member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists of the UK!
Yet another accreditation...
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November 22, 2024
4
min read
Hindi/Urdu and Balkan languages... the links between them
There are words that are the same in Hindi and Urdu as in Croatian and Romanian?! How can this be? Find out here...
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October 23, 2024
6
min read
Can the "world's most accurate translator" do Australian English?
Does DeepL live up to its claim of being "the world's most accurate translator" when it comes to Aussie English? Get ready for some zingers!
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October 20, 2024
5
min read
Why are there so many Turkish words in Balkan languages?
Let's see how Turkish has influenced the languages of the Balkans and further afield. Bujrum!
Read more
October 17, 2024
3
min read
False Friend Friday! Time for some Latin-based words
Where the translation gets undone because just because a word looks the same in another language, it doesn't necessarily means the same.
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August 28, 2023
2
min read
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 🤪
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August 25, 2023
3
min read
Луд купон, the “crazy coupon” Bulgarian party
So who’s having a “crazy coupon” this weekend? 🎉 Wait!✋ A crazy coupon?🎟️😲 What’s that?
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August 22, 2023
1
min read
Oldtajmer, evergrin, rekorder, golman… the world of Balkan pseudo-anglicisms
Did you hear about the man who collects “old-timers”? 👴🏽 Or that Frank Sinatra has many “evergreens”? 🌲
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June 26, 2023
1
min read
Homonyms maketh the sentence…
How do you say in Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin or Serbian this: “Up there, the mountains burn worse”?👉 Gore gore gore gore.
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March 29, 2023
3
min read
Naš jezik at Munich Airport
I’m about to fly off to Australia transiting through Munich Airport 🇩🇪 … so I’m preparing myself to be ready to speak in “naš jezik” (“our language”).
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March 22, 2023
2
min read
Ramadan or Ramazan?
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan starts today, but how do you call the month? A case of local vs global of different circumstances
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August 3, 2026
1
min read
Wartime witch hunts
How binary discourses in war societies where everything is black and white creates the environment to brutally attack anyone who questions this
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July 22, 2026
4
min read
Olivera Katarina (1940–2026)
The only woman the great Salvador Dalí knelt for. The glory, mystique and controversy surrounding this celebrated Yugoslav and Serbian actress and singer.
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July 21, 2026
1
min read
I found the actual Ken Lee!!!
This has had me laughing all day. If you know, you know!
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July 18, 2026
2
min read
How Bulgaria soared and sunk at the World Cup in the 1990s
The World Cup grand finale is on this weekend. Let's remember how Bulgaria did well in 1994 but failed in 1998. And what happened to 1994 star Lechkov?
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July 4, 2026
1
min read
What's the latest with Honeyland star Atidje Muratova?
Good news: she's still looking after her bees.
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July 3, 2026
17
min read
Tales from ethnic radio (the end)
Going from fax to internet... and into armed ethnic conflict. And how war hits harder when you actually have to deal with its brutal consequences.
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June 30, 2026
2
min read
Vlado Janevski (1960-2026)
One of Macedonia's biggest pop stars has gone to his starry sky far away
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June 27, 2026
15
min read
Keeping up with the Zogus, Albania’s royal family
Three generations of a family that mostly never had a throne, a country... or much in the way of restraint. And how does an Australian woman get involved in all this? Show us the drama!
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June 23, 2026
12
min read
The king who became prime minister, muscular arms and other tales of the Bulgarian royals
A family history of exile, a tsar's comeback as a 21st-century prime minister, and how it all ends with his daughter trending for her muscular arms. Welcome to the stage, the Bulgarian Royal Family.
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June 15, 2026
13
min read
Two marches, one city, twenty years of broken promises
A government-backed parade, a tolerated Pride, and the fiction of democratic balance and the "traditional family" in the Balkans.
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June 14, 2026
2
min read
Donald Trump's birthday? Ha! It's also Ceca's!
Move over the Donald! There's someone else grander who has her birthday today too. But the similarities don't end there...
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June 8, 2026
12
min read
Big Bulgarian wedding – no! Big Bulgarian graduation ball – da!
Why the tradition for big weddings in Bulgaria is no longer the case... and why graduation balls and festivities have taken their place.
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May 26, 2026
1
min read
How the 1972 hajj brought smallpox to Yugoslavia... and how the country successfuly dealt with it
Socialist Yugoslavia always treated the Hajj and the participation of its citizens with care – they could come back with concepts that could bring the system down. But a Hajji in 1972 brought back something far more dangerous – a killer virus.
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May 21, 2026
10
min read
Is Ricky Martin Montenegrin?
Who needs real evidence? Where the Balkan thing for bread and circuses, and claiming everyone and anyone as they're own, collide. Plus, I reveal Lady Gaga's alleged Balkan roots!
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May 15, 2026
21
min read
Why there's no turbo folk/chalga at Eurovision
Disposable, easy pop with a local flavour and pleasing to the eye. You'd think turbo folk/chalga would be ideal for Eurovision, but you won't be seeing it on the big stage. How come...?
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May 13, 2026
3
min read
Why Croatia's 2026 Eurovision song is problematic
Croatia's dark ethnic ballad entry for Eurovision 2026 has gained many fans across Europe. But the song is problematic in some aspects...
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May 6, 2026
12
min read
"Don't take my picture then!" Arif Heralić and Alija Sirotanović – two socialist Yugoslav icons as one.
Did you know the most recognisable face of socialist Yugoslavia after Tito was of a Roma furnace worker from Bosnia? But many ex-Yugoslavs think it's another Bosnian. Here are their stories...
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May 1, 2026
19
min read
May Day in socialist Yugoslavia
Who's up for a picnic? It's time for bean soup. How Tito's Yugoslavia celebrated the "holiday of labour" and what changed over time and what didn't. Oh, and there's that time I got punched.
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April 27, 2026
3
min read
Video killed the red star in 1980s Bulgaria and Romania
How video casettes illegally smuggled from the west caused Bulgarians and Romanians to question their communist system in the 1980s. And how are James Bond movies treated in Bulgaria...
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April 23, 2026
2
min read
Princes Amongst Men is back!
The book that launched my career as a Balkans sensitivity and authenticity reader is back, updated and bigger than ever!
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April 22, 2026
2
min read
22 April – Lenin's birthday
So Lenin was one of the world's most prominent revolutionaries, but his legacy lasts by way of... first names and spring cleaning? All is explained here.
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April 18, 2026
7
min read
"The buying and selling of votes is a crime" in Bulgaria
The aspects of Bulgarian elections that no-one else talks about. And what does Chalga have to say about it? All aboard the 'Bulgarian train'. Toot, toot!
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April 10, 2026
1
min read
The eggs are dyed for Easter!
Yes, it's that time of year again, and I'm glad to say that the eggs turned out great this year.
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April 8, 2026
2
min read
8 April – International Romani Day
Today is International Romani Day. Note, not 'Gypsy'. Why this is not the most appropriate term, and how ethnic labels can be complicated.
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April 7, 2026
2
min read
Vale Yanka Rupkina!
Famous Bulgarian folk singer and member of the world-famous Trio Bulgarka, Yanka Rupkina, has died. Here is her extraordinary life.
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April 4, 2026
3
min read
Lazarus Saturday – the Balkan debutante ball, and Palm Sunday – the Balkan flower festival
The weekend before Easter in Balkan Orthodox Christian societies sees major celebrations for the coming of spring, steeped in pagan origins.
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April 2, 2026
14
min read
Tales from ethnic radio (part 2)
How I transitioned from listener to being listened. But first, let's bring in some music. 1990s Macedonian Turbofolk anyone? And what was the (surprising) word we couldn't mention?
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March 23, 2026
12
min read
Tales from ethnic radio (part 1)
50 years ago today started the service I loathed as a child... but became my ticket to my future. The crazy yet wonderful world of ethnic, and particularly "Yugoslav", radio in Adelaide, Australia.
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January 30, 2026
2
min read
Kostadinka Palazova, the voice of Bojmija, Macedonia (1939–2026)
Legendary Macedonian folk singer Kostadinka Palazova has passed away. Her life has been dedicated to keeping the songs of her birthplace alive in the face of official bans, ethnic cleansing and life in exile.
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January 2, 2026
1
min read
When coins matter: stotinki and sixpence for Christmas
Big issue of the day – what coin do you use for your lucky-coin Christmas tradition? It matters to many in the Balkans AND Australia
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December 19, 2025
2
min read
19 December is Saint Nicholas Day!
It's a pretty big day in some Orthodox Christian parts of the Balkans – St Nicholas Day. But how come it's happening 13 days after the rest of the world? And what are you not supposed to do today?
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May 12, 2025
2
min read
Princes Amongst Men: Journeys with Gypsy Musicians is back!
Garth Cartwright's award-winning book about the talented Roma music stars of the Balkans is getting a re-release!
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February 16, 2025
2
min read
Eat that burek... it could be useful later on
How my experience growing up Balkan in Australia has provided valuable knowledge to others.
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February 8, 2025
6
min read
Slovenian, the odd one out
I translate into English from all Southern Slavic languages except one. Sorry, I can't do Slovenian. Here's my apology.
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December 31, 2024
5
min read
My moment of 2024...
There's always one thing each year that stands out in my travels, and this year it was accidently discovering the huge gastarbeiter houses of eastern Serbia
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December 22, 2024
11
min read
Utopia of the Uniform: Affective Afterlives of the Yugoslav People's Army by Tanja Petrović
22 December was Yugoslav People's Day. Here are some notes about the topics raised in this research, my personal connection to the former JNA and how its legacy lives on in the memories and legends of millions.
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December 4, 2024
3
min read
Professor, Doctor, Docent, Magister... let's get into academic titles!
Some societies take them very seriously, some not so much. Find out more here...
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October 20, 2024
5
min read
Why are there so many Turkish words in Balkan languages?
Let's see how Turkish has influenced the languages of the Balkans and further afield. Bujrum!
Read more
October 6, 2024
1
min read
Trileche, the not-so-traditional Balkan dish
How thanks to the Albanians, a Latin American cake conquered the Balkans.
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September 6, 2024
2
min read
"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.
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July 30, 2024
4
min read
25 years since the death of Bulgarian chalga star Rumyana
How the life and death of a popular chalga singer embodied the nature of post-Communist Bulgaria
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July 4, 2024
2
min read
Who's gonna win: Sunderland or Newcastle? Fancy a Democracy Sausage? Or take a ride on the "Bulgarian Train"
Vote-count competitions between rival cities? How a mundane sausage in generic white bread is the epitome of mass democratic participation in Australia. And why a Bulgarian train is not a train. The weird world of election traditions.
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August 22, 2023
1
min read
Oldtajmer, evergrin, rekorder, golman… the world of Balkan pseudo-anglicisms
Did you hear about the man who collects “old-timers”? 👴🏽 Or that Frank Sinatra has many “evergreens”? 🌲
Read more
March 22, 2023
2
min read
Ramadan or Ramazan?
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan starts today, but how do you call the month? A case of local vs global of different circumstances
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February 1, 2023
1
min read
Out today! Elixir, In the Valley at the End of Time
The latest book that I played a part in its fruition (no, I’m not in it this time), by my dear friend, the award-winning writer Kapka Kassabova, is now available for purchase.
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May 10, 2025
3
min read
Do we really need self-service counters in 'Pirate', me mateys?
Ahoy, me hearties! What may appear as a community service actually serves to undermine the supposed primary purpose of such language provision.
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February 7, 2025
4
min read
Child interpreters. Why are we getting them to do an adult's job?
Children who interpret for their family members who do not know the local language are often portrayed as heroes. But what do these children think?
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November 22, 2024
4
min read
Hindi/Urdu and Balkan languages... the links between them
There are words that are the same in Hindi and Urdu as in Croatian and Romanian?! How can this be? Find out here...
Read more
September 6, 2024
2
min read
"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.
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August 23, 2023
3
min read
Five common myths about raising bilingual children
Surprising as it may be, I was once a child, but one who happened to grow up in a multilingual environment but dominated by English.
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July 27, 2026
2
min read
Anchor clients and the power of reminders
What are anchor clients and how I was able to regain one thanks to sound advice on using reminders
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July 22, 2026
2
min read
What's the obvious sign of a lazy translation from English into any other language?
Translation is supposed to convey info from one language to another, but if you just use the words only tweaked from the source language, then you're doing a disservice.
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July 15, 2026
4
min read
Oldtimers, dancings and packets ... but are they English words?
Welcome to the crazy world of "false friends" and "pseudo-anglicisms"... they look like English words but they're not
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June 29, 2026
2
min read
The most important question for a certified translation of a personal document not in Latin script?
It's the simplest of things that can cause the most trouble. And when it comes to certified translations, getting this right is crucial!
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May 20, 2026
2
min read
Two years as a Chartered Linguist!
Two years ago I attained the highest qualification for translators, Chartered Linguist. And I'm the only one in the UK for the languages I work from.
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May 14, 2026
1
min read
If you know another language then you cannot be a bigot! Is this true?
Is there any truth that knowing another language eliminates any chance of you being a bigot?
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February 7, 2025
4
min read
Child interpreters. Why are we getting them to do an adult's job?
Children who interpret for their family members who do not know the local language are often portrayed as heroes. But what do these children think?
Read more
January 30, 2025
3
min read
How to pass off as a native English speaker when writing?
What's one of the biggest giveaways that a text in English was not written by a native speaker? Find out here with a simple and yet important tip...
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December 17, 2024
2
min read
My new personalised stamp!
To add to that professional touch, I can have your documents stamped with my personalised round stamp.
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December 4, 2024
3
min read
Professor, Doctor, Docent, Magister... let's get into academic titles!
Some societies take them very seriously, some not so much. Find out more here...
Read more
November 29, 2024
4
min read
Serbo-Croatian? Yes, I still work from it.
3 decades have passed since it officially ceased to exist but I still get requests to translate from Serbo-Croatian. How come?
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November 24, 2024
2
min read
I'm now a full member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists of the UK!
Yet another accreditation...
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November 22, 2024
4
min read
Hindi/Urdu and Balkan languages... the links between them
There are words that are the same in Hindi and Urdu as in Croatian and Romanian?! How can this be? Find out here...
Read more
October 23, 2024
6
min read
Can the "world's most accurate translator" do Australian English?
Does DeepL live up to its claim of being "the world's most accurate translator" when it comes to Aussie English? Get ready for some zingers!
Read more
September 29, 2024
3
min read
International Translation Day and the Dragomans
How the Ottoman Empire granted its translators and interpreters, the Dragomans, with respect and status.
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August 21, 2024
1
min read
Meyk lov - not vor
Why you shouldn't trust automated translation on LinkedIn or anywhere else. And are the Macedonians being targeted?
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June 26, 2023
2
min read
Any place, any time…
👍The best thing about being a freelance translator is being able to work at any place at any time. 👎The worst thing about being a freelancer translator is being able to work at any place at any time.
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April 26, 2023
3
min read
English language translation tips: use of long forms of country names
Republic of Serbia 🇷🇸, Republic of Croatia 🇭🇷, Kingdom of Norway 🇳🇴, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 🇬🇧, Oriental Republic of Uruguay 🇺🇾, Plurinational State of Bolivia 🇧🇴 …
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July 15, 2026
4
min read
Oldtimers, dancings and packets ... but are they English words?
Welcome to the crazy world of "false friends" and "pseudo-anglicisms"... they look like English words but they're not
Read more
May 22, 2026
2
min read
Muphry's Law strikes again!
Have you heard of Muphry's Law? No, it's not Murphy's Law, and if you thought that it was, then that's Muphry's Law. Confusing? Well, time to clear it up...
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May 14, 2026
1
min read
If you know another language then you cannot be a bigot! Is this true?
Is there any truth that knowing another language eliminates any chance of you being a bigot?
Read more
February 21, 2026
2
min read
International Mother Language Day: "you're confusing him"
To show why mother languages matter, here's my story how educators in Australia tried stopping my parents speaking to me in my mother language.
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February 9, 2026
15
min read
Careful, someone might hear you!
Think you can say vile things about the people around you because hardly anyone speaks your language? Think again! Because when you least suspect it, there'll be someone who does understand...
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August 20, 2025
2
min read
A company by any other name than Nik?
Oil, banking, jewelry, optics, radio broadcasting, hard spirits... Nik does it all! But do I really?
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May 10, 2025
3
min read
Do we really need self-service counters in 'Pirate', me mateys?
Ahoy, me hearties! What may appear as a community service actually serves to undermine the supposed primary purpose of such language provision.
Read more
February 20, 2025
4
min read
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...
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November 19, 2024
3
min read
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...
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October 14, 2024
1
min read
"Merci" is how you say "thank you" in which language?
It may come as a surprise but it's not just in French...
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September 6, 2024
2
min read
"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.
Read more
October 23, 2023
2
min read
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...
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September 14, 2023
1
min read
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?
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August 28, 2023
2
min read
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 🤪
Read more
August 24, 2023
2
min read
You do Montenegrin and Bosnian, right?
Two more language directions have been added to my Institute of Translation and Interpreting profile
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August 23, 2023
2
min read
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?
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August 21, 2023
5
min read
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”.
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May 30, 2023
1
min read
The personal touch
Translation can often be a very sedentary existence, plugging away in front of a laptop, with little or no face-to-face contact with clients👨🏻💻
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February 4, 2026
2
min read
World Cancer Day: cancer scare!
Even after being cured of cancer and remission is over, there's still the threat of it coming back for around go. What to do with a new cancer scare?
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February 3, 2025
3
min read
Cancer and gallows humour: Thank you for the flowers 💐; I hope they die before I do!
What's one constant when it comes to the cancer experience? It's the gallows humour. Yes, it gets very, very dark. Why is this so?
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September 15, 2024
2
min read
15 years cancer-free!!!
And I know because of an annual procedure a work colleague advised me to do...
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June 14, 2024
5
min read
It's Men's Health Week... and I'm 15 years cancer-free!!!
The story of how I found out by chance that I no longer had cancer
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