Learn English – What does “hard sums” mean

british-englishmeaning

I have heard British people speak about "hard sums," but I can't find a definition anywhere. Is it just a generic way of referring to any arithmetic that the speaker believes is difficult? Or does it have a more specific definition or nuance?

If someone says "I can do hard sums," what does that mean exactly?

Best Answer

"Hard sums" is used to mean "difficult mathematics" in a self-deprecating way, depending on the speaker.

If someone says

I can do hard sums.

and they are:

  • A four year-old: It means they've started doing addition.
  • An eight year-old: It means they've mastered multiplication.
  • A high-school student: It means they can do some simple calculus.
  • An undergraduate: It means they can do more complex calculus / analysis / algebra.
  • A post-graduate: It means they're Einstein. :-)

And each group is more self-deprecating than the last.

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