Some strange Americanisms

Sports are huge in America. Everywhere you look there’s coverage of football, basketball, baseball… and pretty much any other sport you can name.

People are constantly talking about sports too, and so vocabulary differences come up. It’s not just a case of ‘soccer’ (in the US) vs ‘football’ (in the UK): there are plenty of other differences.

But it’s more complicated than the British speaking one language and the Americans another, insists Harris, who moved to Florida from the UK in 1984 . Language divides Americans too.

“In soccer circles in the US – among fans and commentators – you have a schism between US soccer fans insisting on using American terms to describe the game compared to Americans who insist on using British language to talk about the game, so they’re more accepted by hardcore soccer fans and ex-pats.

“So when Americans use terms like ‘match’, ‘nil-nil’, ‘kit’ and other terms, many US fans will tag those Americans with the ‘Euro snob’ label.” (Source: BBC News)

Who knew talking about sports could be so complicated? Perhaps taking a break for some German lessons in New York would help?