Did you learn English outside the U.S.?

This 1812 cartoon from Massachusetts pokes fun at contemporary political maneuvering that continues today.

If you learned English outside the U.S., you never have studied American cultural and historical references used every day by native speakers. Many expressions depend on historical contexts never taught in schools outside the U.S. One example is the word "to gerrymander." This word refers to the division of voting districts in favor of one party or another. Voting district maps are drawn by state legislatures. Normally, voting districts correspond to areas which neighbor each other. However, voting districts could also join end-to-end, resulting in a long, skinny district that can wind around like a snake. Why bother with this impractical arrangement? The reason is that dishonest politicians can group together favorable neighborhoods into a strongly supportive voting district.

What does this have to do with gerrymandering? To purposely arrange unbalanced voting districts in named in honor of Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry in 1812.

General Ambrose Burnside, c. 1862

In a similar way, during Civil War General Ambrose Burnsides was famous for his facial hair. His moustache was connected to his hairline by means of a bushy connection of facial hair. Today, if a man has facial hair in front of his ear, we call it a sideburn.

Can you think of any modern words that are based on celebrities or historical figures? Why are all stuffed bears named "Teddy?" Email me if you want to know!

Since people growing up in the U.S. take a series of U.S. history classes, students often learn what these terms mean from history class, not English class. Popular U.S. media commonly use terms like these, often with no explanation. Since non-native speakers usually learn academic English, which is sort of artificial and does not include everyday expressions used in the real world.
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