Posts Tagged: soccer

The misappropriation of “football”

Now, while the Rugby World Cup is dominating the world’s sporting news, we must use the opportunity to wrest back the word football from our soccer rivals. Soccer (Association Football) came into existence at least a generation after rugby football. At that time there were many forms of football in England and around the world. […]
Verve and vexation – the vuvuzela

The vuvuzela, the World Cup’s soccer horn, is a metre long, made from plastic, and brightly-coloured. Played with enthusiasm by fans it is annoying TV viewers.

Marque—is Jaguar reverting to type?11/10/2026
Jaguar releases the Type 01 This week the Jaguar car company released its new electric car, the Type 01. Jaguar has delivered on its controversial 2024 advertising campaign and Type 00 concept, which attracted widespread ridicule. One journalist suggested that “the marque, again, [is] putting its future on the line”. Famous for its sports cars… Read more: Marque—is Jaguar reverting to type?
Genericide & Entwisle Model of Brand Overshoot01/10/2026
A mate recently sent me a word he thought might interest me—genericide. There are quite a few everyday words that you might not know started life as trademarks: cellophane, aspirin, trampoline and escalator. I came across the same phenomenon in a previous post with cafetière for a coffee plunger. There is something quite ironic about… Read more: Genericide & Entwisle Model of Brand Overshoot
What’s for pudding?27/09/2026
As an English-born Australian I have the “lived experience” of navigating the differences between Australian English and British English. It is a fun place to play but sometimes the two just don’t reconcile. One of the most grating is how the English can call dessert “pudding”. I was brought up with Christmas puddings, suet puddings… Read more: What’s for pudding?

The misappropriation of “football”