I take five common idioms related to communication and translate them for the Internet age.
Idiom: spread like wildfire
Meaning: news, information, or gossip is transmitted very quickly to many people
Translation: spread like Tila Tequila AND her sextape
Origin of new idiom: the Internet makes it easy for users to share all types of information, even leaked sex tapes, quickly and easily
Idiom: put in a nutshell
Meaning: summarize a big idea or story simply
Translation: keep it to 140 characters
Origin of new idiom: social networking tool Twitter limits user posts to 140-character tweets
Idiom: be on the same wavelength
Meaning: the goal is for two or more people to communicate and listen so that they understand each other
Translation: add emoticons to clarify
Origin: oftentimes, Internet users must add emoticons after statements to ensure that they are interpreted correctly
Idiom: bite your tongue
Meaning: you avoid saying something that’s probably best left unsaid
Translation: hold your tweet
Origin: in the no-rules world of Twitter, many users are tempted to tweet anything and everything; think twice before you do
Idiom: keep you posted
Meaning: to keep a person informed about a situation, provide updates
Translation: keep you Facebook posted
Origin: with Facebook, you can let all your friends know about updates and happenings in your life
(Photo by Kevin Tiqui)