How come that Chandler & Joey's game table is always referred to as 'foosball' table and not soccer or football table? Are they always called this way in the US? Btw: in German it's 'Tischfu�ball' (='table soccer') and to play it is called 'kickern'.
Christoph
Christoph P�per wrote:
It's always been Foosball as long as I have known it, here in the US. Maybe a respectfull nod to the German Fussball for soccer?
"Mynock" wrote in message news:[email]...
Was the version possibly invented by a German? Just a thought.
"David Buehrle" wrote in message news:N0o58.333326$[email]...
Or maybe they couldn't use the names football or soccer cause of some trademark issue...
"Dennis" wrote in message news:[email]...
is
I don't think the names football or soccer would be a problem in themselves as they are general terms. The issue is probably that the game maker wouldn't be able to copywrite "football" or "soccer". So, changing it to foosball allowed the manufacturer to copywrite the name. (I am assuming they did so.) To extend the thought further, it's possible that they knew of the German word, and thought it sounded good.
"David Buehrle" wrote in message news:...
Foosball is the name of the game. I have always assumed it was just a derivation/Americanization of the German word for football.
Scott
"Scott Letteney" schrieb:
Yes, it seems to be the closest phonetical transcription of the German word "Fu�ball" possible in English, although the "a" should be open & short, like the "u" in "cut". Nevertheless it's strange to adopt a word from a foreign language for something there's already one for. I'll never understand, why American Football has the priviliege of carrying "foot" in it's name, though the ball is carried not kicked most of the time.
Christoph
"Christoph P�per" wrote in message news:a39hkr$dkt$[email]...
Here's a topic about which I actually know something, for what it's worth. World football and rugby came to the US where young college men picked up the games and began making modifications to the rules, for one reason or another. American football remained very close to rugby in style and play, except that goals could be scored, as in world football, by kicking the ball through a goal. So, this footballized version of rugby started to be called football. But football purists, to be clear about the boundaries of the football rules, started calling traditional football association football. The "soc" was pulled from the word association to form the new word soccer which was commonly used by the masses since the term association football was too long. And this is why, in the states, American football is called football, and football is called soccer.
I knew that 1959 World Book Encyclopedia would come in handy some day! It's older than I am. It even says, "Some computers can fit in a single room."
DB
"Scott Letteney" wrote in message news:[email]...
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I tried to check it out and this is what I found at http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary
Main Entry: foos�ball Pronunciation: 'f�z-"bol Function: noun Usage: often capitalized Etymology: probably modification of German Tischfussball, from Tisch table + Fussball soccer, from Fuss foot + Ball ball Date: 1977
rods to which small figures of players are attached
"David Buehrle" wrote in message news:LmJ58.339748$[email]...
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I did not use the appropriate wording I gather cause while reading your post I was nodding my head and agreeing with you. I meant to say that using soccer or football as the name of the game would create possible problems for the manufacturer regardig copywrite issues. Your english is much better than mine so I am glad you expained things in a better way.
"Dennis" wrote in message news:[email]...
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LOL I don't know if my version was any better--it certainly was longer. Thanks for keeping the response upbeat.