Hi friends,

My question refers to a consolidated figure, say expense reports.

When I request for the detailed items that make up the amount, what would be it called - breakup or breakdown ? :confused:

I have been using both these terms but certainly one of them should be correct as one is "up" and one is "down" :)

Hi friends,

My question refers to a consolidated figure, say expense reports.

When I request for the detailed items that make up the amount, what would be it called - breakup or breakdown ? :confused:

I have been using both these terms but certainly one of them should be correct as one is "up" and one is "down" :)

I am not a grammarian but I can tell you my thinking.

Breakdown would be used when defining the composition of something (like your expense report) What goes into the bucket to make up the end result. A list of ingredients in a cake would be a breakdown of the recipe.

Break up would be used to split apart the components and present them as separate parts. Break up of a marriage for example would result in splitting the component parts and ending with individual units.

Now we can wait for the experts :)

Dave

I am not a linguist nor word-smith but in financial use, breakdown should the correct word. I avoid using break-up because it does't sound right - it gives me a feeling of being shattered, of unregulated breaking into pieces.

Hi friends,

My question refers to a consolidated figure, say expense reports.

When I request for the detailed items that make up the amount, what would be it called - breakup or breakdown ? :confused:

I have been using both these terms but certainly one of them should be correct as one is "up" and one is "down" :)

Hi Ajit,

Here is a definition:

Breakdown, a statement explaining the details of something such as a bill or cost of a plan.

I always use the word "breakdown" in a situation similar to the example you provided.

Stijloor.

Hi friends,

My question refers to a consolidated figure, say expense reports.

When I request for the detailed items that make up the amount, what would be it called - breakup or breakdown ? :confused:

I have been using both these terms but certainly one of them should be correct as one is "up" and one is "down" :)Speaking as a guy who dealt with financial analyses most of my adult career, I believe the term you are searching for is "break out" which means, in the jargon of number crunchers, that the person has "broken the individual components out of the aggregate total for folks reading the report to analyze details as well as the 'big picture' of the total report."

If we were examining a person's travel expenses, the total expense for a one week trip might be $2,000. If we [I]break out the individual items, we might find:
air travel $650
ground transport $100
hotel $1,050
meals (including tips) $200

We might look at the details to find places to increase or economize on the amount allocated for meals or hotel (staying at a hotel in Keokuk, Iowa is a lot cheaper than staying at one in Tokyo, Japan.)

.............I believe the term you are searching for is "break out" which means, in the jargon of number crunchers, that the person has [COLOR=Blue][I]"broken the individual components [items] out of the aggregate total for folks reading the report to analyze details as well as the 'big picture' of the total report.................................

I think this is another of those British/American differences in terms used. Over here 'break out' is commonly used by chartist or market trend analyst.

Hi Ajit,

Here is a definition:

Breakdown, a statement explaining the details of something such as a bill or cost of a plan.

I always use the word "breakdown" in a situation similar to the example you provided.

Stijloor.

It doesn't really matter much so long as whomever you're talking to understands what you mean. If I say to someone, in relation to an engineering project for example, that I need a cost "breakdown," context will tell what I mean. I could substitute "break out," per Wes's suggestion, without fear that my meaning will be lost. I could also probably say "breakup," but that term isn't usually used in this context, at least in the U.S..

Hi friends,

My question refers to a consolidated figure, say expense reports.

When I request for the detailed items that make up the amount, what would be it called - breakup or breakdown ? :confused:

I have been using both these terms but certainly one of them should be correct as one is "up" and one is "down" :)

IMO 'Break up' is the word normally used in this context.Break down is not current here.

IMO 'Break up' is the word normally used in this context.Break down is not current here.

True - in the Indian context breakup is being used but "breakdown" seems to be used widely. :tg:

This word is so interesting in that it has "up" and "down" which are literally opposite to each other but could mean the same thing ;)

True - in the Indian context breakup is being used but "breakdown" seems to be used widely. :tg:

This word is so interesting in that it has "up" and "down" which are literally opposite to each other but could mean the same thing ;)

In our city (Charlotte, NC), there's a long-lasting discussion going on about uptown? or downtown?.

Stijloor.

In our city (Charlotte, NC), there's a long-lasting discussion going on about uptown? or downtown?.

Stijloor.

Interesting !!!