[Ads-l] Earlier U.S. Citation for "Soccer" / "Socker"

[Ben Zimmer]

The gift link was supposed to provide non-paywalled access. Failing that,
you can see the page image of the "soccer" column here:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FjD9QfDXoAYbLqe?format=jpg&name=4096x4096

In the past I've also supplied non-paywalled links to my WSJ columns by
using the archive.today / archive.is service, but that appears to be a
no-go now (Wikipedia has blacklisted it).

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/02/wikipedia-bans-archive-today-after-site-executed-ddos-and-altered-web-captures/

--bgz


On Sun, Jun 21, 2026 at 2:21 PM Stephen Goranson <
00001dd3d6fc15d3-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:

> Ben, that link did not work for me, a non-subscriber to WSJ.
> Stephen
>
> On Sun, Jun 21, 2026 at 8:56 AM Ben Zimmer <
> 00001aae0710f4b7-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>
> > Here's a column I wrote on the topic a few years ago, discussing the
> term's
> > perceived status as an Americanism and its actual British origin (citing
> > Fred, of course).
> >
> >
> >
> https://www.wsj.com/articles/soccer-the-sports-american-name-is-actually-british-11669928342?st=P2nsiK&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
> >
> >
> > On Sun, Jun 21, 2026 at 6:31 AM Shapiro, Fred <
> > 00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
> >
> > > I think that what I had in mind was that the word "soccer" is uaually
> > > thought of by British people, or non-U.S. people in general, as an
> > > Americanism.
> > >
> > > Fred Shapiro
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ________________________________
> > > From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of
> > > Stephen Goranson <00001dd3d6fc15d3-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > Sent: Sunday, June 21, 2026 5:02 AM
> > > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > Subject: Re: Earlier U.S. Citation for "Soccer" / "Socker"
> > >
> > > In the related thread, the following statement may be questioned:
> > > "The word "soccer" is usually thought of as an Americanism, but it
> > actually
> > > originated in England."
> > > It may be that most Americans never concerned themselves with that
> > > etymology. Etymology itself is often thought to be the study of bugs.
> > When
> > > I was a kid, if I recall correctly, if we thought of it at all, soccer
> > was
> > > widely considered a foreign, non-football, game. If so, not a native
> > > invention. But I may not be representative.
> > >
> > > sg
> > >
> > > On Sun, Jun 21, 2026 at 1:56 AM ADSGarson O'Toole <
> > > 00001aa1be50b751-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
> > >
> > > > Here is another slightly earlier usage found in a Detroit, Michigan
> > > > newspaper which is quoting a London newspaper.
> > > >
> > > > Date: November 13, 1893
> > > > Newspaper: The Detroit Free Press
> > > > Newspaper Location: Detroit, Michigan
> > > > Article: FOOT BALL: Some Epigrammatic Definitions of its
> Distinguishing
> > > > Features
> > > > Quote Page 4, Column 6
> > > > Database: Newspapers.com
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
> https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newspapers.com%2Farticle%2Fdetroit-free-press-socker%2F200008869%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cfred.shapiro%40YALE.EDU%7C13a60b8ea74840d1808008decf73e381%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C639176293840335855%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=oqAQA9yG9xOXVNp9Qx9Vyq6OdU82updp2GKOhXTKvdY%3D&reserved=0
> > > <
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press-socker/200008869/
> > >
> > > >
> > > > [Begin excerpt]
> > > > London Truth gives a few brief definitions of the distinguishing
> > > > features of foot ball. In England the Rugby game is known as the
> > > > "Rugger" and the Association game as the "Socker." Here are Truth's
> > > > epigrams:
> > > > Rugby: A feat of strength. Association: A strength of feet.
> > > > [End excerpt]
> > > >
> > > > Garson
> > > >
> > > > On Sat, Jun 20, 2026 at 5:36 PM dave at wilton.net <dave at wilton.net>
> > wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Would the 1894 and Bill Mullins's find of the 1893 citation count
> as
> > > > "US" citations? They are in US papers, but refer to British use of
> the
> > > term.
> > > > >
> > > > > The 1896 one would seem to be a genuine US use of the term.
> > > > >
> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > From: "Shapiro, Fred" <
> > 00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > > >
> > > > > Sent: Saturday, June 20, 2026 10:51am
> > > > > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > > > > Subject: [ADS-L] Earlier U.S. Citation for "Soccer" / "Socker"
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Here is an earlier U.S. citation for "socker":
> > > > >
> > > > > 1894 Kansas City Times 7 Jan. 7/5 (Newspapers.com) In England the
> > Rugby
> > > > game is known as the "Rugger" and the association game as the
> "Socker."
> > > > >
> > > > > Fred Shapiro
> > > > >
> > > > > ________________________________
> > > > > From: Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu>
> > > > > Sent: Friday, June 19, 2026 4:59 PM
> > > > > To: American Dialect Society <ads-l at listserv.uga.edu>
> > > > > Subject: Earliest U.S. Citation for "Soccer" / "Socker"
> > > > >
> > > > > The word "soccer" is usually thought of as an Americanism, but it
> > > > actually originated in England. The earliest known usage, discovered
> by
> > > me
> > > > in 2021, is from an English school newspaper (Marlburian, Nov. 25,
> > 1885).
> > > > Today I became curious about what was the earliest U.S. use. In some
> > > > cursory research, this is the oldest I have found:
> > > > >
> > > > > 1896 Rochester Democrat and Chronicle 27 June 19/3
> (Newspapers.com) A
> > > > determined effort is being made to introduce the scientific and
> > healthful
> > > > association foot-ball game into Western New York. ... The most
> > admirable
> > > > characteristic of the "Socker" game is its complete freedom from that
> > > > element of roughness which does so much to mar all exhibitions of the
> > > > Inter-Collegiate and Rugby games.
> > > > >
> > > > > Fred Shapiro
>

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org