From "Pomposity" to "Bewilderment": World Cup Vocab

When the sports blog For the Win wrote Tuesday that Americans can expect less "dumbing down" of ESPN World Cup coverage in the coming month, the conversation quickly settled on vocabulary.

A lot has changed for Ian Darke since he first called the World Cup for ESPN in 1994.…He doesn’t find himself explaining the offside rule to people, or clarifying that the Chelsea he is talking about is actually one of the most powerful clubs in the world and not the name of a girl.…“20 years ago people were asking me to explain the offside rule while on-air,” Darke said. “I wouldn’t even dream of doing that now – the audience now is pretty educated about the game and it would be an insult to their intelligence.”

For those of us whose intelligence wouldn't feel insulted by a little explanation to get us through the next month, we've just posted a free, interactive World Cup vocabulary list featuring terms like offsides, striker, and headshot you might want to know if you're following coverage of the games.

Of course, World Cup vocabulary doesn't stop at the technical practice of the game. This Monday, The New York Times reported on European football Britishisms (or terms that smack of them) that are becoming hallmarks of authenticity for dedicated U.S. fans. These are exactly the kind of fans — sorry, supporters — who will be fun to sit next to in your local bar as you watch coverage of the games — sorry, matches. So commit these words to memory before you don your team — sorry, club — scarf and get into the spirit of the event. 

Cap: a recognition earned by a player for each appearance in an international game for his country. Darijo Srna who plays for Croatia has the most caps of any player in the World Cup with 122.

Club: This means team. We use the same word here for baseball, where the Yankees are a "ball club."

Chant: Cheers exchanged by fans.

Football: Forget pigskin. For the next month, this word will lose all connotations of padding and helmets and the interjection hut. After the World Cup concludes, we here in the U.S. can go back to the term soccer or the European/American football compromise we're used to.

Group Stage: Much as this may sound like an opportunity for you and your buddies to sing a karaoke "Day-O," the term refers to the early phases of World Cup tournament play. 

Hooligan: To quote Vocabularian lanceanz's comment below, "What soccer list could be complete without the terms soccer hooligan?" Indeed. A hooligan is a fan of European football known for being particularly trouble-making and rowdy.

Kit: This refers to a team jersey, its likely origin traveling back to the sense of the word that means personal items carried by a soldier, which would include clothing.

Man: A player on a team. In European football, the MVP or "most valuable player" award goes by the term "man of the match." 

Match: Use this term instead of "game."

Nutmeg: From user Landyn M., quoting Wikipedia: "A nutmeg (or tunnel) is a technique used in soccer, field hockey or basketball, in which a player rolls or throws the ball through an opponent's legs." (See further Wikipedia explanation in Landyn M.'s comment below!)

"Park the Bus": This phrase describes a team's focusing solely on defensive play during the course of a match.

Pitch: A playing field. Remember the quidditch pitch at Hogwarts? Same idea. 

Scarf: Think rally towel, but made of polyester masquerading as wool. Again: remember Harry Potter. Wear them around your neck even if it's balmy out and you're sweating. 

Supporter: Football-speak for fan.

Tiki-Taka: Defined in the New York Times flowchart "Your Slightly-Better-Than-a-Dartboard Guide to Choosing a Team in the World Cup" as "the endless little passes that look to Americans like a game of keep-away."