AEE 2615: The Math Isn't Mathing!

This is an All Ears English podcast, episode 2615, The Math Isn't Mathing. Welcome to the All Ears English Podcast, downloaded more than 200 million times. Are you feeling stuck with your English? We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection.

With your American hosts, Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl. coming to you from Colorado and New York City, USA. To get real-time transcripts right on your phone and create your personalized vocabulary list, try the All Ears English app for iOS and Android. Start your seven-day free trial at allearsenglish.com forward slash app.

Are the numbers numbering when it comes to your English learning? Today, find out just how common this expression is becoming and how to use it. Have you ever listened to native speakers and thought, I understand the words, but I still feel slightly lost. That's because real English conversations include more than vocabulary.

There's speed, there's connected speech. There are cultural references and casual phrases. Your brain has to process all of this in real time. If conversations sometimes feel overwhelming, it may simply mean you're ready for the next level of training.

Find out your exact level with our quick, free fluency quiz. Go to allearsenglish.com slash fluency score. That's allearsenglish.com slash F-L-U-E-N-C-Y-S-C-O-R-E.

Hey there, Michelle. How's it going today? Everything is good. Lindsay, what was your favorite subject in school? Was it math by any chance? Oh my gosh.

Absolutely not, Michelle. It was not math. It was probably, I always was interested in when I got older, anthropology and cultures, that kind of thing, which makes sense. What about you?

Were you a math girl? You know, in middle school, I'm not saying that I'm – I think now it's been so long I'm really bad at math. But growing up, I actually didn't mind math. That's good.

Yeah. So – But it was not my favorite subject. I mean, I'm like you, right? I like learning about cultures. I mean, in grade school, of course, I liked the reading and anything liberal artsy I like.

Yes. Yes. So on today's show, we're going to talk a little bit about a unique and fun expression that Michelle, you and I have both been hearing a lot lately. So we decided that this must be covered on the show, right?

I mean, definitely. Yes. So what is the expression for today? Let's just not leave our listeners in the lurch. It is the math isn't mathing. The math isn't mathing.

Michelle, what was the last time you heard this? Like, did you hear it over the weekend or anything? I mean, I think in like the last week, I mean, sometimes I'll hear it twice in one day. Yes.

It's really common. I might hear it on the news. On the news. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I might hear on the news. I might hear it on like like more like talking heads news.

Sure. Right. Then just like a straight up. Oh, this is what happened. Not investigative reporting. Right. Right. Exactly. So but what about you? You said you heard it over the weekend.

Yeah. Yeah, I think I heard. So we are having currently a disaster. We're renovating our kitchen. We're renovating our whole house. Everything's up in the air right now, Michelle, in my life.

So we had the construction company measure our kitchen. So a lot of mistakes were made. And what's happening is the cabinets don't fit. They've all been unboxed, halfway installed, and the math isn't mathing in terms of the measurements.

Yeah. It doesn't work. It doesn't fit. We ordered in the kitchen. It's a disaster. And literally, yeah. So I've heard this a lot. Yeah, definitely. So, but I mean, grammatically, what?

Like, it's like mapping. What is happening? That's not a thing. Why are we... That's not... correct grammar, math. It's not technically correct grammar, but who cares, right?

We're having fun here. It's playful grammar. So we'll take that because it builds connection. It's for the sake of the expression. It's fun. It's unique.

It makes the expression playful, bouncy, fun, interesting. right yeah um or sometimes sometimes i even hear the math ain't mathing oh man it's even taking it further yeah another step further yeah so we're gonna talk about what this expression actually means um in a second but first we want to say thank you so much to our reviewers yeah huge thank you to seema shokri um Azeen Zargulkar.

And a big thank you to Danaika888. Danaika from the US says, thank you for your podcast. They help so many people and I listen to them all the time on different platforms. That's amazing, Michelle.

Amazing. Yeah. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. It makes our day when we see your reviews of the show. So go on over, leave a review wherever you listen.

Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the app, iOS, Android. We'll do our best to read your name out loud on the show. All right. Exactly. Yes. All right. So, Lindsay, so the math isn't mathing.

It means something isn't right. Something doesn't make sense. Yeah. And it doesn't have to only be about math. Like your example with the measurements, that is about math, but it doesn't have to be about math.

It doesn't have to be. Right? Yeah. So let's do some examples. Yeah. So you could say, wait, he said he can't come to the dinner, but he's making other plans for

The math isn't mathing on this one. So that has nothing to do with math. It's about his dinner plans, his plans. But it's saying something isn't lining up.

Something doesn't make sense. Something doesn't make sense. Yep. Or the math isn't mathing. Why would he drop his car off here before the event instead of after?

Sorry. So logistics, right? We're saying, what's going on here, right? Yep. Or you borrowed $20 but are giving me back $10? The math isn't mathing. Sorry.

Yeah. Calling people out a little bit here, right? Yes. Could be used for that. I mean, to me, this expression really conveys confidence. Yeah. Um, you know, it's, and I think it's good for connection because it's, it's honest.

It's saying something isn't quite right. What do you think, Lindsay? I think that's an important point. It is connection because anytime we can, cause like I said, cause I said calling someone out, but if you are saying something's not right, but you want to say it in a more indirect, fun, playful way where you're not necessarily accusing them of creating a problem, but you're saying something's not lining up again.

This is a good one to use. So it does build or maintain the connection, I think. Yes. Yes, exactly. So I really love this. And we also have a lot of other expressions that are similar to this one.

This also sounds like math, a math expression. So it's something doesn't add up. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Hmm. Something doesn't add up. Why do we have to be there early when we aren't even setting up the room?

Yeah. yes yes and this one comes up a lot of times when something's off if we feel like um with that gut gut reaction like if we're in danger sometimes this one will be used too yeah something doesn't add up with this person like what like he's doing something strange and i feel like i might be in danger that also can veer into that world right like suspicious listening to our intuition yeah yeah exactly and Yeah. Or it doesn't make sense.

This would have been the more straightforward thing to say, right? The more common. That doesn't make sense. We should ask her what she means. Yeah. Okay.

Mm-hmm. Or you could say, Michelle, something is off, right? Something is off here. Can we clarify this? So, you know, you can just see these are a little bit more neutral, right?

They're not as playful. But yeah, not quite as playful. The math isn't mathing is kind of one you want to... add a little bit extra personality in here.

So I saw, have you ever heard someone say the numbers aren't numbering? I haven't, but I think it makes total sense because they're just modeling what we do with the math isn't mathing, right? Exactly. It's the same structure.

It's different words, but the same idea. But I did see when I was researching this episode that sometimes that can be used as well. I haven't heard that one, but you might hear it.

But you might hear, yeah, I can't get this calculation right. The numbers aren't numbering. And yeah, go ahead. You can this is an interesting because this is a known expression.

You can play with it. And stick other verbs in there. I'm not sure what you would I didn't put too much thought into this part of the episode about adding in other things. But you know, if you come across something where you can use, okay, the same verb, the same word, right, the math, like as a noun, and then make it into a verb.

You know, you can you can play with it. And this is this is part of the fun of language. Yeah, this is the kind of episode I love because we're giving you a little bit of a creative license here, guys, to make some things up. Right.

So how fun is that? That is where we want to be when it comes to learning English and connecting. The other piece, Michelle, is adding here. So the math isn't mathing here, right?

All my cabinets don't fit. It doesn't work. The math isn't mathing here. That's an option, right? I mean, we gave that in a few examples above we just talked about.

How does it change it when we add here at the end, though? I think you're being a little bit more specific. What do you think? Okay. Yeah. I think maybe, geez, I guess it kind of just roots it, maybe makes it a little even more casual.

What does it do? More specific. Geez. I think it's just, it's, it's, it's an option. It's just an option. Yeah. Our listeners have options here. Yeah.

Yes, exactly. So remember you can use these about actual math. Um, I think you can use them at work. What do you think? Yeah. Yeah, I think so. Absolutely.

You know, I mean, if you're an accountant, and your job is the numbers, then it might be a little too much just because you're expected to know why the math isn't mathing, right? Yeah.

Do you know what I mean? If you're literally like presenting the P&L to the boss, maybe don't use this. You're the one who should know. This is more for people who are further away from the numbers, and they're kind of, they're having fun.

Right. Exactly. Exactly. And further away. Yeah, that makes sense to me. So should we do a role play? Yes. So here, Michelle, we are friends planning a vacation, a vacay time.

All right. Okay. Good. All right. Okay. So the site says our room will be... Wait a second. That's so expensive. Oh, that doesn't seem right. This math isn't...

The math isn't mathing. Wait, Michelle, you clicked that we need three rooms. Oh my goodness. I knew something was off. Yeah, but look over here. There's a resort fee.

Hmm. Something doesn't add up. Maybe I'll call them. Yeah, this doesn't make sense. Yep, the numbers aren't numbering. Well, we have to get them to number.

Nice, good one. Okay, we got to explain this for our listeners here. So first, we dropped the phrase of the day, which is the math is mathing when you got this huge bill. And it just, it doesn't feel right.

Right. Yes, exactly. Yeah. Imagine we're on one of those sites and, you know, it's showing. Do you ever do that, Lindsay, if you're going to buy something and then you realize, oh, you accidentally put that you need two of it.

Oh, yeah. It happens all the time. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. You're like, whoo. So you said, wait, you said the math isn't mathing. Wait, you clicked that we need three rooms.

So I said, oh, my goodness. I knew something was off. Yeah, I knew something was off. Another way of saying something wasn't right. And then another way here, I said, hmm, something doesn't add up, right?

So you're going to make a call. And then you agreed with me. You said, yeah, that doesn't make sense. And then you got a little bit more playful. You said, yep, the numbers aren't numbering.

Yep. So now we're really having fun here. And now you're responding. You're just like kind of mirroring what I've just said with the same... function of the word.

You're saying, well, we have to get them to number and you make that a verb, right? We have to get them to number. Nice. This is totally playing with it, right?

I'm just being playful back, right? I'm saying we have to get them to number. What do I mean by that? Yeah. Yeah. You're saying we have to get them to make sense.

Guys, don't get us wrong. You're not going to find this in the dictionary. No. If you look up the dictionary to number something, it's more like put one, two, three, four, five.

It's the literal meaning of this. Michelle is using this in a creative way in response to what I said, right? You are reinventing the meaning of to number kind of. Yes.

Yeah. Yeah, really creative episode today. I was just listening to the podcast Today Explained where they were talking about the price of concerts going sky high after the pandemic. And this is another place where I feel like this could fit in.

The math just isn't mathing. The price is $1,000 a ticket is what people are paying to see these great artists. But it's crazy. And they were asking the question, when are people going to stop paying that amount?

Yeah. So the math isn't mathing when it comes to concerts anymore. Yeah, absolutely. So guys, check out episode 2601. That was, I'm so glad we did this.

Subtle ways to end a gathering. That was a fun one too. Yeah. Any final takeaway for our listeners today? Have fun with the language. I think that's what this is all about.

You know, you can... You know, you can do something that's a little bit offbeat. I mean, especially like at the end, oh, well, we have to get them to number. I mean, now I'm making a joke right now and making it like things are really light and funny.

And so I think that's what this comes down to is, you know, having that confidence and learning enough so that you can, you know, play with the language like this. Yeah, I totally agree. This is where we want to be when it comes to English, because remember, it's about connection. And that last response you made helped us connect, Michelle, in that conversation, right?

So if we have to break the rules, if we have to go around the dictionary, be creative, that gets us to connection. It's totally worth it. And it's fun, right? Have fun with the language.

Yeah. Definitely. All right, guys, don't forget to leave us a rating and review and we will do our best to read your name out loud on the show. All right.

All right, guys. Thanks for listening. Lindsay, thanks for chatting about this with me today and we'll talk to you soon. Bye, Michelle. See ya. Bye. See you next time.