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!

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[–] 16 points 2 years ago (6 children)

Do English people know that they originated “soccer” as Oxford slang for “association football?” Nothing hits like the English ignorantly shitting on their colonies for adopting the stupid English practices forced upon them by the English at the time.

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  • [–] 31 points 2 years ago (5 children)

    English shitting on our colonies is our favourite past time. You should come along sometime.

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  • [+] -6 points 2 years ago* (2 children)

    Imagine going from one of the biggest powers in the world, owning more than 25% of the entire Earth and having one of the biggest navies on the planet, to losing nearly all of it and returning back to an island approximately the size of Madagascar. Even losing a war of independence, and having to ask the winner that beat them for help in WWII because they were losing. All that, and it's citizens have the audacity to keep making fun of Americans.

    You know, looking at it that way, it really makes Britain look really petty. Which is rather appropriate.

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  • [–] -2 points 2 years ago

    You say that like most of us aren't in on the joke - good banter is one of the few things we Brits even produce anymore...

    It ruins the fun if you take it too seriously, which (from my experience) Americans seem to do a lot - that's one of the other things that outs you guys amongst Brits fairly quickly.

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