ETA: It’s kind of an interesting throwback. Bill Bryson has pointed out that in the colonial period culture in North America (Eastern seaboard really) was still heavily dependent on trends from Britain (and to a lesser extent elsewhere in Europe). But because it took a while for be slang and terms to make it over the Atlantic and propagate across the colonies, they were usually a few decades behind (I think he actually said about 50 years behind). This meant that colonialists in America were using terms in daily life that were considered pretty antiquated by Brits. And could lead to bewilderment and mocking if the team into Brits.
The use of ‘soccer’ / ‘football’ in North America compared to the UK could be seen as an echo of that old dynamic.
Get with the times, grandpa!
(jk, jk)
ETA: It’s kind of an interesting throwback. Bill Bryson has pointed out that in the colonial period culture in North America (Eastern seaboard really) was still heavily dependent on trends from Britain (and to a lesser extent elsewhere in Europe). But because it took a while for be slang and terms to make it over the Atlantic and propagate across the colonies, they were usually a few decades behind (I think he actually said about 50 years behind). This meant that colonialists in America were using terms in daily life that were considered pretty antiquated by Brits. And could lead to bewilderment and mocking if the team into Brits.
The use of ‘soccer’ / ‘football’ in North America compared to the UK could be seen as an echo of that old dynamic.