Inside Baseball, Other 'Inside' Expressions
2022-12-18
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1And now Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
2Today we go out to the ballpark ... the baseball park!
3We talk about an expression from the sport of baseball but now means so much more.
4Inside baseball is something that is known or understood only by a small group of people.
5Sometimes inside baseball describes a subject that has too many uninteresting details.
6So, most people do not understand it or even want to understand it.
7We commonly use this expression with subjects like politics, science, or finance.
8For example, some urban voters are not interested in the inside baseball of constitutional reform.
9But, they still might support reforms promising good schools, safe neighborhoods, and jobs.
10Here is another example.
11Many people would consider the yearly earnings reports of major companies as inside baseball information.
12The reports would not be of interest to them.
13But to investors such reports are important. These insiders need the information.
14On its website, Merriam Webster online dictionary explains how this phrase began back in the 1890s.
15To score in baseball, a player needs to land on first, second, and third bases before reaching home plate.
16That is where the player scores.
17One way to do this is to hit a home run.
18The player hits the ball so far that the other team cannot get it.
19Then, the batter and anyone else on a base moves forward all the way to home.
20That big hit will always please the crowd!
21But most hits are not home runs.
22Most batters hit balls inside the field and move around the bases as other batters take their turns hitting.
23This can include also very short hits called bunts, where the bat touches the ball lightly to keep it infield.
24There are also stolen bases -- when runners take a next base usually as the other team is pitching to a batter.
25These are part of a long list of skills, tools, and possible plays used to play competitive baseball.
26This kind of play is called inside baseball.
27It is not an obvious type of scoring, especially when compared the dramatic homerun.
28"Inside" is also featured in other popular terms in American English.
29An inside joke, for example, is a joke that only a few people understand.
30With inside jokes, we often say this to those who don't understand: "You had to be there."
31Insider knowledge is also things understood by a special few.
32Let's say you want to work at a company and you have insider knowledge about it.
33Maybe you know people who work there or their product line.
34This insider knowledge may give you an advantage over others.
35An inside track is a good position in a situation.
36It comes from racers on a circular track.
37The runners on the inside may have an advantage.
38Here's how to use it: She seems to have an inside track at the university. She knows everyone!
39And finally, an inside job is something done with the help of someone inside an organization.
40The term, however, is usually used in connection with a crime.
41If police think a bank robbery was an inside job, for example, they would probably question all who work at the bank.
42And that's all the time we have this Words and Their Stories. Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo.
1And now Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English. 2Today we go out to the ballpark ... the baseball park! 3We talk about an expression from the sport of baseball but now means so much more. 4Inside baseball is something that is known or understood only by a small group of people. Sometimes inside baseball describes a subject that has too many uninteresting details. So, most people do not understand it or even want to understand it. 5We commonly use this expression with subjects like politics, science, or finance. 6For example, some urban voters are not interested in the inside baseball of constitutional reform. But, they still might support reforms promising good schools, safe neighborhoods, and jobs. 7Here is another example. Many people would consider the yearly earnings reports of major companies as inside baseball information. The reports would not be of interest to them. But to investors such reports are important. These insiders need the information. 8On its website, Merriam Webster online dictionary explains how this phrase began back in the 1890s. 9To score in baseball, a player needs to land on first, second, and third bases before reaching home plate. That is where the player scores. One way to do this is to hit a home run. The player hits the ball so far that the other team cannot get it. Then, the batter and anyone else on a base moves forward all the way to home. That big hit will always please the crowd! 10But most hits are not home runs. Most batters hit balls inside the field and move around the bases as other batters take their turns hitting. 11This can include also very short hits called bunts, where the bat touches the ball lightly to keep it infield. There are also stolen bases -- when runners take a next base usually as the other team is pitching to a batter. 12These are part of a long list of skills, tools, and possible plays used to play competitive baseball. This kind of play is called inside baseball. It is not an obvious type of scoring, especially when compared the dramatic homerun. 13"Inside" is also featured in other popular terms in American English. 14An inside joke, for example, is a joke that only a few people understand. With inside jokes, we often say this to those who don't understand: "You had to be there." 15Insider knowledge is also things understood by a special few. Let's say you want to work at a company and you have insider knowledge about it. Maybe you know people who work there or their product line. This insider knowledge may give you an advantage over others. 16An inside track is a good position in a situation. It comes from racers on a circular track. The runners on the inside may have an advantage. Here's how to use it: She seems to have an inside track at the university. She knows everyone! 17And finally, an inside job is something done with the help of someone inside an organization. The term, however, is usually used in connection with a crime. If police think a bank robbery was an inside job, for example, they would probably question all who work at the bank. 18And that's all the time we have this Words and Their Stories. Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo. 19Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. 20_______________________________________________________________ 21Words in This Story 22bunt - n./v. to push or tap (a baseball) lightly with a bat without swinging 23infield - n. the area of a baseball field enclosed by the three bases and home plate 24obvious - adj. easily discovered, seen, or understood 25dramatic - adj. striking in appearance or effect 26advantage - n. superiority of position or condition 27_______________________________________________________________ 28We want to hear from you. Do you have a similar expressions in your language? In the Comments section, you can also practice using any of the expressions from the story. 29We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: 30Write your comment in the box. 31Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitter and Google. 32Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is the blue circle with "D" on it. It is free. 33Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.