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Posted by Alex on January 07, 2002

In Reply to: Re: Word Association explanation posted by Jim on January 07, 2002

: : : Why has the meaning of Word Association got the word Football on the end of it?

: : : The game is called 'Word Association' isn't it, I have never heard football being connected to it.

: : : The explanation tells us:

: : : Association football is the proper name of soccer (and the origin of the word incidentally), although anyone outside the USA will tell you that the proper name of soccer is football.

: : : Why would anyone English need this explained to them? If it's there for the benefit of US citizens who might choose to read a website intended for UK citizens, that is there problem derived from the fact that they choose to live in a cocoon called the USA, and ignore what happens outside of it.

: : The phrase was coined by Monty Python--a BRITISH comedy troupe, I believe.
: : We ex-Colonist cocooners had nothing to do with the creation of YOUR phrase.

: Clive. Cocoon as parochial, metamorphic or sheltered? I left out insular. Already taken.

Actually, even in england 'football' can be used to describe a multitude of sports. Most people would assume you were referring to Association Football but there are alternatives -

Rugby Union is also called Rugby Football and Rugby Football Union, and commentators commonly use the term 'excellent footballer' to describe a skilful rugby player, e.g. Jason Robinson.

I don't think we can get too narked at the yanks using it for their rugby-with-pads-on game if we use it for our American-Football-without-pads game.