Column 3 - The Origins of 'Soccer'

Since arriving in this Scottish town, the words I use have been found silly by many Brits: ‘trunk’ instead of ‘boot’, ‘fries’ instead of ‘chips’, and ‘soccer’ instead of ‘football’. Saying the term ‘soccer’ is especially met with disgust, so much so that Americans here will conform and call it ‘football’. It never made sense to me that Americans called it ‘soccer’, such a drastically different word. So, why did I grow up calling such an old sport a different name than what it is known as in its place of origin? Well, a quick Google search and apparently the angst I have received for calling football ‘soccer’ is a bit hypocritical. 

The term ‘soccer’ was actually created in England as an abbreviation for ‘Association Football’ to distinguish it from ‘Rugby Football’, according to Stefan Szymansky in his paper It’s Football, not Soccer. The usage was adopted by Americans who picked it up during World War II. Since America had started using ‘soccer’ as well, Szymansky hypothesises, the UK decided to revert back to using ‘football’. Yet another example of the UK doing anything and everything to distinguish themselves from their bratty child, the USA. 

No judgement here: Americans get off on their differences from the rest of the world. We also give it right back. Poor David Beckham got harassed a couple years ago for his FIFA commercial for chips, oh sorry, crisps. At the end of the day, we all lose, because apparently the true inventors of kicking a ball were soldiers at a second-century Chinese military camp. So, the next time you feel high and mighty over what a sport is called, maybe check your sources.

Image by Isobel Holloway