MarylandNed

The word "soccer" originated in England in the 1860's and that name was exported along with the sport. It always amuses me when Brits complain about foreigners using the very word the Brits invented!

JGK

Just do what I do in the lunch room at work keep saying (very loudly) "Its not soccer, it's a game played with a ball and your feet ergo it's FOOTBALL, anything else is just armoured egg-chasing"

JGK

Alternatively, try the "stealthy" addon for Firefox

BristolUK

That North Americans use a word invented by a Brit doesn't make it any more an "acceptable" word to describe the game universally known as Football and similar names in languages other than English.

Maybe FIFA should insist they call it by its official name.

BristolUK

I've tried Stealthy and it hasn't worked once yet.

I still get the not available in your region or whatever it says.

BristolUK

Not just soccer it seems.

MarylandNed

"Soccer" is in the English dictionary so its use is perfectly acceptable and it's not just used in North America. Soccer City, Johannesburg? Also, it's not like the word is never used in the UK. I've often heard "soccer" used on UK TV and seen it used in UK newspapers. "Soccer Diary" on The Guardian website?

There are different forms of football. The word "soccer" was coined to distinguish it at a time when Rugby was known as Rugby Football (soccer and rugby have common roots). Yes, soccer might well be the dominant form of football but the simple fact is that if you mention "football" in North America, most people will assume you mean the sport with the pointy ball. So I use the word "soccer" in North America so that there's no confusion.

BristolUK

Yes...shameful isn't it.

According to wiki, 43 of 45 English affiliations are now using the word football, with Canada and the USA being the exceptions.

I imagine other forms of its use was something to do with marketing.

Apparently Australia moved from the use of soccer to football.

Me too. If I'm likely to encounter confusion by saying football. It seems sensible.

On the net, though, I usually say soccer football. That avoids confusion and satisfies my dislike of the word.