In this commentary, the authors debate a number of issues associated with literacy and numeracy and with developing a "social" perspective on numeracy, particularly in relation to four points arising from Barwell's intervention: (1) the use of terms mathematics and numeracy; (2) the notion of text as it is applied to these domains; (3) whether road signs can usefully be described as numeracy, literacy and more broadly "semiotic"; and (4) relationships between ethnography of numeracy and education. In addressing these issues, the authors attempt to clarify what they see as the meanings of numeracy practices, the relationship between activity, events, and practices; and what it means to mathematise. [This article comments on Richard Barwell's "What Is Numeracy?: A Comment on Baker, Street, Tomlin 23(3)" (EJ1106910).]