If I’m talking to an English speaker from outside of the US, is there any confusion if I say “soccer”?
For example, when I was in college a friend asked for a “torch”. I was confused for quite some time, because I didn’t know it was another word for “flashlight”. Does the same thing happen with the word “soccer”? Should I clarify by saying, “…or football”?
Thank you!
Everyone understands, most gringe.
It’s soccer here in Australia too. Like the US, we have our own local football code too.
No, we understand. In fact, if anything it’s easier if you say soccer! If someone with an American accent says ‘football’ I normally assume they mean gridiron, so sayings soccer is actually a little clearer.
Of course, in different parts of the world, ‘football’ might mean rugby (either union or league), Gaelic football or Aussie rules football. So, the potential for confusion is pretty wide!
This. ‘Soccer’ is well understood and unambiguous, though it might prompt certain assumptions depending on your audience. There are times and places you might prefer to say ‘football’ to mean ‘Association football,’ but if you just need to communicate simple factual information in two syllables, it’s probably the best word for that.
Interesting, thank you!
Well it’s not actually that bad of a deal to call football “soccer”. But what really grind gears is to associate football exclusively to “American football” which is what (American) internet do. Rage over “soccer” is just part of the backlash.
While it will absolutely out you as an US American, we will understand - same as when you say “Candy” and similar common Americanisms
… wtf else do you call candy?
Sweets?
I’ve actually heard people call candy “sweets” here in the midwestern US quite a lot
We use both
Goddammit… I’ve watched enough Bake-Off, I should’ve known that.
Lollies, or a lolly.
Wee Confectionary Yum Yums
Confectionery…sweets
As others have said, sweets
Wait…I think you’re saying that Brits call candy sweets…maybe…
Definitely Brits, but not just Brits - Sweets is the preferred term in much of the English speaking world, with Candy being very distinctly associated with the US.
Interesting. I’ve used candy to refer to non-chocolate sweets. Sweets refers to sweet candy, and chocolate.
On that note, for a long time, I’d thought “candy bar” was called as such because they tend to not contain any actual chocolate.
Chocolate isn’t sweets.
It sure as heck ain’t sour
How people refer between different types of sweets varies even within Britain, nevermind other countries… but at least in my experience chocolate sweets get referred to as chocolates, and non-chocolate sweets as just sweets (though I have heard the terms sugar sweets and confectioneries thrown about for those too)
I don’t think all the people saying soccer in an Australian accent would appreciate being identified as an American.
True - I had forgotten you guys call it footy and soccer. Though I suspect the Aussie accent would give you guys away before we got to the topic of footy
I’m an American who lived in England for a couple of years. Due to American media the majority of everyone understood what I meant when I said things like soccer, trunk or hood of a car, fries, etc. Words with different meanings between the two could get confusing like biscuit, chips, or pissed.
Since soccer doesn’t have another meaning I never ran into someone who didn’t know what I was talking about. However, when saying football in an American accent some thought I was referring to American Football by default.
I can only remember one instant where someone did not know what I was talking about. That was when I asked someone at work where the dumpster was and I got a blank stare. I explained, the big metal thing outside for trash and they were like, “oh the skip”
In Australia we have Soccer, Aussie rules football (AFL), Rugby Union (Union) and Rugby league (Usually referred to as “League” or “NRL”) all of them also known as “Football”
I have a pretty deep burning hatred for people who insist on correcting people when they say Soccer. It honestly just makes you look like a twat “yOu mEaN wHaT tHe rEsT oF thE WoRld CalLs foOTbALl!?!” Like you fucking understood well enough to know this was your moment to open your cockholster and needlessly add that little tidbit like anyone else was confused.
I’ve heard gridiron. Just not “gridiron football” together.
It’s ok, we know you guys are weird.
Not a native English speaker, but my hunch is, soccer will almost certainly be understood. Also it will identify you as American.
But if an American says football, that can create a bit of confusion.
And Canada 👋
And Australia, at least when they’re not trying to suck up to the British.
And the British, at least when they’re not trying to make Americans look bad.
There’s more problems that occur when you talk about American Football as just football solely because people will attempt to follow along before getting blindsided by something that doesn’t make sense. At least when Americans talk about Soccer, everyone knows what’s going on. Seems like there’s often miscommunication that people are getting annoyed Americans refer to Football as soccer and not that your refer to American Football as football. Makes sense when you talk to people in your own country.
This isn’t American Centric. Whenever I’ve talked to people about Gaelic Football, it’s discussed as Gaelic football, not football.
Ah yes no worries, we even heard about them Soccer moms here in Europe.
