My granddaughter Libby Forster and former Dundee United player Kenny Dick asked for the origin of the football term ‘nutmeg’.
The ink was hardly dry on the April 14 edition of BwB when I had four replies… and they all came in with the same theory.
“The best-sounding explanation on ‘nutmeg’ is attributed to Peter Seddon in his book ‘Football Talk The Language And Folklore Of The World’s Greatest Game’,” said Ian Fraser (ianfra5er@blueyonder.co.uk).
“The word arose because of a sharp practice used in nutmeg exports between America and England.
“Nutmegs were such a valuable commodity that unscrupulous exporters pulled a fast one by mixing a helping of wooden replicas into the sacks being shipped to England.
“Being nutmegged soon came to imply stupidity on the part of the duped victim and cleverness on the part of the trickster.
“It soon caught on in football, implying that the player whose legs the ball had been played through had been tricked or nutmegged.”
Rob Boag, from Canada, also offered the same, as did Michael Lennon of Carnoustie and John Todd of Whitfield, Dundee.
If you’ve got a story to share with John, email: jbrown@dcthomson.co.uk.
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