The Fourth of July

Abstract

Most Australians write the date as day, month, year (dd mm yyyy); conversely, in the USA, they tend to write month, day, year (mm dd yyyy). In dealings between Australia and the USA, this can lead to all sorts of confusions and complications; does the date 07 04 2002 refer to the seventh of April or to Independence Day in the USA. Writers and editors must take ultimate responsibility for any errors, inconvenience, and additional costs arising out of the use of old ad hoc date formats.