Australia is not ‘Down Under’ for us

WHAT amazes me is how many people, all over the world, see the US as the supreme trendsetter.

They seem to believe that anything the Americans start is the new trend and has to be followed tacitly. Admittedly, there are aspects wherein the Americans are ahead of the rest, but this "follow the leader" mentality could sometimes make us look ridiculous.

What irks me about many South Africans, especially sports writers, is the tendency to refer to Australia as “Down Under”.

That term is an American sobriquet for Australia. Do those South Africans who use it know what it means? Apparently not.

If you put your finger on the US, on a mapped globe, and another finger on Australia, your two fingers will be on opposite sides of the globe.

Therefore, for the Americans, Australia is really “Down Under”.

In the same way Australians could rightfully call the US “Down Under”. What about us South Africans? Do we like looking foolish?

If we need a place to call “Down Under”, what about Hawaii?

JOHAN MAJIEDT |