[brendamn]

> He says he is “not bad” at maths – by which he means he came top in the state of New South Wales in his year 12 maths exams

As an Australian that has worked with American companies for a while, this is a behaviour I’ve had to overcome. If you tell an Australian you’re “not bad” at something then they’ll take that to mean that you’re actually quite good, whereas many Americans will understand it to mean that you’re not good.

[doesnt_know]

I'm sure you're aware, but thought I'd drop this for our American friends. Australia and New Zealand (where I'm from) share Tall poppy syndrome[1] and going by that Wikipedia page, there are various over countries that have a similar concept.

Being overly self-congratulatory comes across as this sort of grotesque and unattractive quality. It is even true in the corporate environments I've worked at where you would normally otherwise expect it. Kiwis don't like it and I've seen many foreigners, especially the few Americans that have come over into management roles completely flounder and have almost everyone hate them because of it.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tall_poppy_syndrome

[yawnxyz]

As an American who's spent two years in Sydney and having met VC types here, it's like they toe the line of not wanting to boast but really speak down on a lot of people. There's some sort of hidden aristocracy here, and you can feel like they think they're way better than you.

You get some of that in the US too but there are also way more down-to-earth people there who actually want to help, and advice is actually helpful, rather than regurgitations of PG essays and Lean Startup.

[RoyalHenOil]

I have never been to Sydney, but I do know that Sydney (at least its wealthier population) is perceived as elitist and shallow by other parts of Australia. It has a reputation a lot like L.A. has in the US.

Melbourne, on the other hand, is seen as Australia's Portland.

[about3fitty]

This was my experience as a dual citizen. Sydneysiders are sometimes wannabe Londoners with an odd superiority complex and frequent use of passive aggression.

[manmal]

Having returned from London an hour ago, I think Londoners are mostly decent and friendly people.

[about3fitty]

That is the weird thing. I think Londoners have little to prove and are thus more relaxed and confident.

[Waterluvian]

Interesting!

In Canada being modest is quite important… unless it’s a job interview (whether explicit or implicit), in which case it’s the “one time you should really brag about what you’re good at.”

[gerdesj]

We have a similar concept in the UK too. However, I have never heard of tall poppy syndrome.

[Grimburger]

Understatement is a cultural thing to the point that chatbots have to be retrained to understand it: https://www.itnews.com.au/news/agl-trains-its-chatbot-alfie-...

[foob]

Does it always mean that in Australia, or does it depend on how you say it? I think both usages are actually pretty common in the US, but you tell the difference based on the inflection. If you emphasize "too" and go down in pitch on "bad" then it means you're actually not that good at something, if you emphasize "bad" and go up in pitch then it means you're actually good at it. We also have alternative constructions, like "not too shabby," which carry the positive connotation regardless of how they're pronounced.

[firecall]

That’s my practical understanding of the term as well.

Me: English, living in Australia for >20 years

[RoyalHenOil]

I'm an American who has lived in Australia for a little over a decade, and I have not noticed a difference between Australians and Americans in this regard. If you aren't too familiar with one accent or the other, it may be a little difficult to pick up on whether someone is emphasizing or deemphasizing "too" or "bad", but the essential meaning of the emphasis is the same.

In general, I find Americans and Australians deemphasize positive things at about the same rate and in the same circumstances, though the exact phrasing used can differ (although "not too bad" is a case where the phrase is shared in both dialects).

However, Australians are more likely to also deemphasize negative things (e.g., "This weather is average" to mean it's bad) whereas Americans are more likely to use sarcasm for negative things (e.g., "This weather is great" to mean it's bad).

[refurb]

> whereas many Americans will understand it to mean that you’re not good

I haven't found that to be true. Tooting your own horn is generally looked upon as impolite in many circles. It's pretty common for someone who is outstanding at something to say "yeah, not bad".

And in a very meta way, it can be seen as a flex. Someone who is undeniably the best at something can say "yeah, I'm not bad" with a smirk to show that yeah, they know they are very good.

Now there are some circles in the US where bragging is common - banking, VC, hell even tech. But that's not America.

[inopinatus]

“Sorry to bother you” - I have a life-critical emergency

“That is remarkable” - It is horrifyingly bad

“Have you had your tea?” - Get out of my house

[InCityDreams]

>“Have you had your tea?” - Get out of my house

"Tea", meaning 'dinner', I presume.

[defrost]

In traditional Australia Tea meaning Tea the drink .. vast quantities have been consumed here, at least until the rise of the coffee shop - but the main thing is water is mostly boiled before drinking - flavour added.

It was once universal custom in Australia to offer either tea or a beer when someone arrived - rehydration in a hot country is a thing to do.

"Have you finished that drink yet" - depending on inflection it's either an offer of another or a strong cue to hit the road.

[toyg]

In the North of England, yes.

[userbinator]

The same culture of understatement is present in the UK, which is where Australia likely inherited it from.

[nosrepa]

Must not have worked with any Minnesotans then!

[Auracle]

Heh, as a Minnesotan I was confused by the original comment until now. I didn’t realize that was a regional thing.

[nosrepa]

[There's this classic instructional video](https://youtu.be/vm-MrkoJPC8)