"English" in billiards

[Douglas G. Wilson]

(1) The 'default' explanation -- given (e.g.) at various Web sites
(including Straight Dope and Morris) and in Hendrickson's book -- seems to
be that "English" (= "side-spin in billiards") < "body English" (= "body
language") < "English" (= "language"). This is not entirely implausible as
it stands. However, I don't immediately find "body English" before 1900. If
"body English" existed before 1869, this origin remains in contention.

(2) To me, the converse seems more natural anyway: "body English" (=
"side-spin notionally imparted by body motions") < "English" (= "side-spin
in billiards"). Then whence the billiards word?

(3) One might presume "English" to be a contraction of "English spin" or
so. Then presumably it would be a type of spin thought to be from England
or associated with English billiards or something English ... or maybe spin
in general would have been thought to be English in some way. If the basic
idea was "from England" then one would expect the term to have been absent
in England itself; and indeed I believe the term was originally American
and non-English ... FWIW.

(4) Here is one possibility:

http://www.snookergames.co.uk/history1.html

shows a piece of billiards history or folklore wherein the
inventor/popularizer of billiards spin departed England, to amaze and
fleece the players in Spain. If the story is true, his novel technique
might very naturally have been called "English", in Spain and presumably
later elsewhere. If this story isn't true, perhaps some similar story is.

-- Doug Wilson