[Ads-l] Nutmegging

[Rich Lowenthal]

>From "The Strategy of Soccer" by Johnny Byrne (1966):

Page 74 — "Another tricky customer deserving of mention is Alec Jackson, 
the Birmingham and former West Bromwich forward. Jackson is extremely 
adept at putting the ball between a rival’s legs and then running round 
to regain possession. We call this ‘nutmegging’, the inference being 
that Alec is not only pulling a fast one over his unlucky rival but is 
also ‘rubbing it in’. Nobody beaten this way can feel anything but 
self-conscious about it!"


------ Original Message ------
>From "Stephen Goranson" 
<00001dd3d6fc15d3-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
To ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Date 5/25/2026 07:54:58
Subject Re: Nutmegging

>Given OED, noun and verb, and GDoS, testicles seems likely.
>
>Google Books went blank page on me, but in Women's Football in Latin
>America... 2022, 45 used to read something such as nutmegging the
>Patriarchy.
>
>For an iffy antedating, The Sport for Suburbia, Manchester Guardian, 4 May,
>1963, 6/4, on bowling teamates:
>
>"We've got a butcher, a greengrocer, a joiner; have we got a nutmeg-grinder
>then? Eh? Eh?"
>
>https://www.proquest.com/hnpguardianobserver/docview/184876376/fulltextPDF/AA8AAB4C9A1F4930PQ/8?accountid=10598&sourcetype=Newspapers
>
>sg
>
>On Mon, May 25, 2026 at 12:54 AM ADSGarson O'Toole <
>00001aa1be50b751-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>
>>  A friend asked me about the origin of the following term used in football
>>  (soccer) nutmegging - passing the ball between the feet of an opponent.
>>  There are a few proposed explanations: cockney slang; spice trade;
>>  testicles.
>>
>>  It would be useful to know when the term emerged and which explanation was
>>  offered contemporaneously. Perhaps some list members can locate
>>  enlightening citations?
>>
>>  Garson
>>
>>

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