"Negative" versus "Minus" As a math educator, do you think it is appropriate to insist that students say "negative $0.8$" and **not** "minus $0.8$" to denote $-0.8$? The so called "textbook answer" regarding this question reads: A number and its opposite are called **additive inverses** of each other because their sum is zero, the identity element for addition. Thus, the numeral $-5$ can be read "negative five," "the opposite of five," or "the additive inverse of five." This question involves two separate, but related issues; the first is discussed at an elementary level here. While the second, and more advanced, issue is discussed here. I also found this concerning use in elementary education. I recently found an excellent historical/cultural perspective on What's so baffling about negative numbers? written by a Fields medalist.

I would encourage (maybe insist is too strong) to use "negative". It's not the worst idiosyncrasy, though. I prefer this distinction so that the unary "-" and binary "-" are two different things.

It irritates me a little more when students say "times-ing it by 5", or "matricee".