American English

Like any new technology, the Internet has created new words and phrases to describe it.

The USA is the biggest and most influential producer and consumer of web content. The new vocabulary reflects this by largely drawing on American cultural references.

The main sources are: politics, academia, technology and sport.

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All technological change creates its own vocabulary. In the case of the Internet much of this new vocabulary originates in the USA – for obvious reasons. The USA is the epicentre of the web – by far the biggest and most influential producer and consumers of web content.
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 US 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 two phrases from baseball and one from American football - can you work out what they mean.
  • a three strikes rule
  • a discussion that is inside baseball
  • the full nine yards
Baseball references are commonplace in the blogosphere: a politician hits a home run or strikes out (while Californian criminals famously have 'three strikes' or convictions before they get a mandatory life sentence. He/She is also wary of ''curve balls' or attacks from unexpected directions.
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.
  • the full nine yards -


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