Language is a funny thing over here. The Brit in Sleuth still sniggers when introduced to someone called Randy or at a mention of "nice pants."

But the US has its own problems with language. The American Family Association found that out when its automatic spell check software was shown to have changed every use of the word gay into homosexual. All well and good until it was used in a news article about American sprinter Tyson Gay.

"Homosexual qualified for his first Summer Games team and served notice he's certainly someone to watch in Beijing," the site stated.

"It means a lot to me," the 25-year-old Homosexual said. "I'm glad my body could do it, because now I know I have it in me."

Now Microsoft has fallen to the same kind of problem. An Xbox player was banned for stating his home town as Fort Gay. However, far from being a slur there is actually a Fort Gay - a thriving town in West Virginia.

No-one's sure how Fort Gay got its name. Some sources credit the name to a civil war nurse, but nevertheless nearly a thousand people call it home and at least one of them wanted to use their Xbox.

Local resident Josh Moore tried to register with Xbox Live but was turned down and threatened with the suspension of his account.

"At first I thought, 'Wow, somebody's thinking I live in the gayest town in West Virginia or something.' I was mad. ... It makes me feel like they hate gay people,'' Moore told Charlestown Gazette.

"I'm not even gay, and it makes me feel like they were discriminating,''

It was only after mayor David Thompson got in contact with the company that it relented and allowed the Fort Gay, WV tag to be added.

"Someone took the phrase 'fort gay WV' and believed that the individual who had that was trying to offend, or trying to use it in a pejorative manner,'' said Stephen Toulouse, director of policy and enforcement for Xbox Live.

"Unfortunately, one of my people agreed with that. ... When it was brought to my attention, we did revoke the suspension.''

09 Sep 2010