New Words
New words appear all the time in all English-speaking countries but it those originating in the USA which tend to have the widest usage.
The rise of the Internet and the globalisation of business have created many new words and phrases used across the world. This new vocabulary often uses American cultural references.
The main sources are: politics, academia, technology and sport.
Do you know what a
maven
is? Or a
meme?
When something is
inside the Beltway?
Or
inside baseball?
The
most influential sports in linguistic terms
is largely unique to the USA: baseball and
American football. The baseball World Series
is a misnomer as only American teams compete
with one exception - the Toronto Blue Jays.
There are frequent baseball references in the blogosphere: a politician hits a home run or strikes out. If he wants to be a major league player he should be wary of curve balls or attacks from unexpected directions.
American football vocabulary tends to focus more on tactics and positions: quarterback, linebacker receiver.
Here are three popular phrases from baseball - can you work out what they mean.
- a three strikes rule
- a discussion that is inside baseball
- touch base
- a politician hits a home run (has great success) or strikes out (fails)
- He/She is also wary of 'curve balls or attacks from unexpected directions.
- Californian criminals have three strikes or chances. A third conviction means an automatic life sentence.
As the 2000 Presidential Election spectacularly
proved, the American electorate is divided into
two camps. On one side are the
Democrat-voting
blue states,
located primarily on the coasts (California and
New York, for example) and in the northeast. They
are opposed by the Republican
red states
of the so-called
fly-over
heartland and the south.
The core voters of each party are known as the base. On the Democrat side is largely made up of trades unionists and various interest groups defined by race or social outlook.
For red state Republicans the unifying issues tend to be pro-life (anti abortion; those in favour are pro-choice) anti gun control, pro small government and pro small government. These have been the themes of the Tea Party movement which became a major national force in 2010.
Liberal Democrats are often describe as progressives and Republicans as values voters.
How are elections decided? By what happens to a third group of 'independent voters in swing states like Oregon, New Mexico or Ohio. Independents historically have sided with the winning party. These went with Bush in 2004 and Obama in 2008.
Surveys consistently show that the electorate is more 'conservative' than 'liberal' or left leaning. That is why there are blue-dog Democrats' representing many purple districts. Blue dogs define themselves as being more fiscally conservative than the majority of their party and are usually against gun control and - to a lesser extent -abortion.
One thing that might unite both red and blue state voters is dislike is the politics of the capital, Washington DC. Senators and congressmen/women are commonly accused of being only interested in what happens inside the beltway or city limits, and of trading principles for pork funding for favoured projects for their electoral districts
The core voters of each party are known as the base. On the Democrat side is largely made up of trades unionists and various interest groups defined by race or social outlook.
For red state Republicans the unifying issues tend to be pro-life (anti abortion; those in favour are pro-choice) anti gun control, pro small government and pro small government. These have been the themes of the Tea Party movement which became a major national force in 2010.
Liberal Democrats are often describe as progressives and Republicans as values voters.
How are elections decided? By what happens to a third group of 'independent voters in swing states like Oregon, New Mexico or Ohio. Independents historically have sided with the winning party. These went with Bush in 2004 and Obama in 2008.
Surveys consistently show that the electorate is more 'conservative' than 'liberal' or left leaning. That is why there are blue-dog Democrats' representing many purple districts. Blue dogs define themselves as being more fiscally conservative than the majority of their party and are usually against gun control and - to a lesser extent -abortion.
One thing that might unite both red and blue state voters is dislike is the politics of the capital, Washington DC. Senators and congressmen/women are commonly accused of being only interested in what happens inside the beltway or city limits, and of trading principles for pork funding for favoured projects for their electoral districts
Perhaps the most influential new development for
introducing new vocabulary has been
blogging.
Ten years ago writing a blog or internet journal
was the hobby of a tiny minority. Today
the
blogosphere
is one of the main centres for exchanging ideas
and news. Terms like
posting
and more recently
tweeting
have entered the general vocabulary
Sport
three strikes - criminals famously have 'three strikes' or convictions before they get a mandatory life sentence)
Inside baseball - about technical matters only of interest to specialists.
three strikes - criminals famously have 'three strikes' or convictions before they get a mandatory life sentence)
Inside baseball - about technical matters only of interest to specialists.
- the full nine yards -
