Category:

Translation

Southern Slavic languages

What does going direct to a translator provide you?

By Nick Nasev

September 24, 2026

1

min read

What does going direct to a translator provide you?

Not only trust but also the personal touch!

The greatest benefit you have by going direct is that you're able to communicate your needs straight to the professional, who will then tailor a solution that suits you perfectly.

And the personal touch can even go as far as deliveries. Just the other day, by pure coincidence, one of my clients happened to live in the exact same building I used to over 15 years ago. Seeing I know the place very well, plus it gave me an excuse to pop in and see some of my former neighbours, I decided this was the perfect opportunity to hand-deliver the certified translation personally to the client.

So it pays to go direct to a certified translator to have your important documents properly and safely translated.

And where to find them? By going to the translator directories of your local or national translator authority or association.

If you need Bosnian to English, Bulgarian to English, Croatian to English, Macedonian to English, Montenegrin to English or Serbian to English certified translations for the UK, then contact me at info@nicknasev.com for more details and a quote. I'm here to help!

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

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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!

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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?

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May 23, 2024

10

min read

Burger King vs Hungry Jacks. Is there a difference?

Is Burger King the drama? How come there's no Burger King in Australia but you can still get a Whopper? A story of how a technicality turned an alternative brand into a part of local Australian identity, and how that was almost usurped.

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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?

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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!

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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 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🥝, […]

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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 […]

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June 22, 2023

2

min read

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.

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May 29, 2023

6

min read

What’s a “bank holiday”? Do Aussies say that too?

Do Aussies have "bank holidays" like in the UK? Well, it's complicated

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April 24, 2023

1

min read

Vale Barry Humphries!

Last Saturday Australian 🇦🇺 🎭 comedy legend Barry Humphries passed away aged 89.

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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?

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April 11, 2023

3

min read

Eshays and Adlays: Australia’s answer to London’s Roadmen

The story behind Australia’s current most notorious youth sub-group

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April 7, 2023

2

min read

Move over Easter Bunny 🐇 … make way for the Easter Bilby! 🪃

Bunnies are considered cute and loveable… except in Australia 🇦🇺, where they’re a major scourge🤬.

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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…

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March 10, 2023

3

min read

Australian English: Calisthenics

Calisthenics is a form of body strength training worldwide. Not in Australia though, where "calisthenics" has a completely different meaning.

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January 24, 2023

4

min read

Seachange, Treechange, E-change

How the Shakespearean title for a popular TV series sporned the terms for a number of related internal migration processes in Australia.

Read more

September 24, 2026

1

min read

What does going direct to a translator provide you?

There are huge benefits for going direct to a translator for your translation needs

Read more

August 17, 2026

2

min read

AHA or ANA?

How the Cyrillic alphabet can play tricks on people who only know the Latin alphabet

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.

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August 22, 2025

3

min read

Up for a crazy coupon? How Bulgarians say they want to party...

Are you up for a crazy coupon where you're strutting your stuff on the "dancing"? Perhaps you're a "labour" or a "gender"? A sneak peak into some Bulgarian linguistic false friends

Read more

August 11, 2025

5

min read

Dua Lipa and her "pasosh"

After many decades of Yugoslav rule, Albanian spoken in Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro has some Serbo-Croatian words, but particularly in certain areas. Which ones? And why is this not unique?

Read more

March 17, 2025

4

min read

Kocani, Kočani or Kochani?

Some Macedonian linguistic pointers

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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.

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?

Read more

November 24, 2024

2

min read

I'm now a full member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists of the UK!

Yet another accreditation...

Read more

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

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.

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 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?

Read more

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

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

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”).

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

Read more

August 11, 2026

15

min read

2001: A Balkan Odyssey. Part 3 "Where's Biljana"

It's time to find Biljana. But before that, why does it seem that everyone in Macedonia knows each other? And why war-lead ethnic unity is addictive as Macedonia's opium.

Read more

August 9, 2026

2

min read

RIP Džansever

Džansever Dalipova, star of Macedonian Roma and Turkish Arabesque music, has died aged 59.

Read more

August 7, 2026

1

min read

Vibeάρω!

A bit of fun in the sun with one of this year’s viral summer songs in Greece – Vibeάρω (I Vibe)

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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!

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 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

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

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!

Read more

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...

Read more

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!

Read more

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...?

Read more

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...

Read more

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...

Read more

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...

Read more

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!

Read more

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.

Read more

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?

Read more

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.

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

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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?

Read more

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!

Read more

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.

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.

Read more

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

Read more

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.

Read more

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

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.

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.

Read more

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

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

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

Read more

March 8, 2023

1

min read

International Women’s Day (IWD). A day of campaigning ♀ … or a day to buy flowers 💐

🪃 In Australia, IWD is a day of campaigning and awareness, elements that are much closer to the day’s original purpose of bringing mainstream attention to issues affecting women.

Read more

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.

Read more

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 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

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.

Read more

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.

Read more

September 24, 2026

1

min read

What does going direct to a translator provide you?

There are huge benefits for going direct to a translator for your translation needs

Read more

September 22, 2026

1

min read

What's your best option when needing sensitive and confidential documents translated?

Why going for large translation companies can mean your sensitive documents being leaked.

Read more

August 10, 2026

2

min read

If they don’t understand, they’ll just ask

But will they? Why having public-facing text optimised from the onset is better than expecting members of the public will simply ask if they don't understand something.

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 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.

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 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 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...

Read more

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.

Read more

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?

Read more

November 24, 2024

2

min read

I'm now a full member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists of the UK!

Yet another accreditation...

Read more

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.

Read more

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?

Read more

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.

Read more

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 🇧🇴 …

Read more

August 13, 2026

1

min read

On the An Englishman in the Balkans podcast

I'm the guest on the latest episode

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

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...

Read more

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 22, 2025

3

min read

Up for a crazy coupon? How Bulgarians say they want to party...

Are you up for a crazy coupon where you're strutting your stuff on the "dancing"? Perhaps you're a "labour" or a "gender"? A sneak peak into some Bulgarian linguistic false friends

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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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August 11, 2025

5

min read

Dua Lipa and her "pasosh"

After many decades of Yugoslav rule, Albanian spoken in Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro has some Serbo-Croatian words, but particularly in certain areas. Which ones? And why is this not unique?

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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 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.

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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 🤪

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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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