this post was submitted on 07 Jul 2026
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Microblog Memes

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A place to share screenshots of Microblog posts, whether from Mastodon, tumblr, ~~Twitter~~ X, KBin, Threads or elsewhere.

Created as an evolution of White People Twitter and other tweet-capture subreddits.

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[–] red_tomato@lemmy.world 88 points 5 days ago (5 children)

It’s called football because it’s primarily played with the feet (unlike that other ”football” game).

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 84 points 5 days ago

You mean handegg

[–] Hawke@lemmy.world 27 points 5 days ago (2 children)

It’s called football because people run around on their feet, as opposed to horseback for polo.

[–] trolololol@lemmy.world 15 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Are you proposing to renaming polo to horse golf? This logic is a bit weird but sure.

Are you proposing to renaming polo to horse golf

Excellent idea tbh!

[–] shpuncle@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 5 days ago (1 children)

So basketball, baseball and handball is basically football too, neat.

[–] Hawke@lemmy.world 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I suppose they are.

Except here in America we call them “ketter”, “baser” and “hander”

[–] fartographer@lemmy.world 3 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Handy? Can you get a job doing that?

In Germany there are shops dedicated to selling handys.

[–] Hawke@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago

Conveniently, yes.

[–] One_Honest_Dude@lemmy.world 21 points 5 days ago (4 children)

American football has been referred to as just football (in America) longer than football (soccer) was called just football in Britain. It was called association football as a distinct game separate from rugby football and other football games. Football distinguishing it from games played on horseback. Soccer was British slang from association (similarly at the time rugby football has slang term rugger.) Eventually the association part fell out of use but other countries that had developed their own football games tended to still call it soccer. I don't really care either way, I'll call it football when talking to people who call it football and soccer with people who call out soccer, I just think the origin of the terms is pretty interesting.

[–] Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world 16 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Football distinguishing it from games played on horseback

The problem with this line of argument is that basketball would also be football, as would baseball, cricket, hockey, and even cycling.

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 4 days ago (2 children)

You had me until cycling. Which would clearly be "ball-less tech polo" or something like that 🤷🏻

[–] Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Counterargument. I've never seen cycling done on horseback. Therfore it is football.

Unless we classify a bike as a mechanical horse. Then we have mountain horsing, road horsing. Trick horsing. And all the velodrome horsing events.

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

I've never seen cycling done on horseback. Therfore it is football.

I've never seen it done on foot or with a ball either, though.

Two-wheel chasies?

Or as a compromise, Wheelhorsing around?

[–] Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

There are not many sports left to invent.

Bike Football

Horse Rugby (as seen in rambo)

[–] WiredBrain@lemmy.ca 1 points 4 days ago

The fuck did I just watch?

[–] wieson@feddit.org 2 points 4 days ago (2 children)

We sometimes call bicycles "wire donkeys"

[–] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Only in the US, though. It's yet another of their silly regionalisms that confuses everyone.

[–] Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Cars are horseless carriages. Does that mean they are more or less likely to fall into the football category?

[–] TachyonTele_Esq@piefed.social 1 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Those are wheelies in America

[–] droans@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

You mean football, football, football, knifeball, and wheelball?

May I suggest:-

Bouncy-football, hotdog-football, 5day-football, ice-football, wheel-football

[–] wieson@feddit.org 4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I'm not beholden to what some rich kids (not my class) of the university of Rugby or Oxford or whatever (not my town) in England (not my country) called the sport once upon a time.

[–] 5765313496@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

For that matter, you're not beholden to call it anything. You could make up a new term for it if you wanted. Don't let "the man" stop you!

[–] wieson@feddit.org 1 points 4 days ago

That's the spirit! And I do, now that I think of it. I call it Fubbes.

[–] JayGray91@piefed.social 2 points 5 days ago

Same. I don't remember when I had the urge to check soccer/football term origins and was pleasantly surprised about it. IIRC it also have some class segregation about it as well (of course it does).

[–] Uruanna@lemmy.world 0 points 3 days ago

longer than football (soccer) was called just football in Britain

This may blow your mind but there are other countries and they have always called it football (or the localized equivalent).

[–] dudeface@lemmy.world 13 points 5 days ago (1 children)

It’s because it’s played on foot, rather than horseback like many early sports

But close

[–] crapwittyname@feddit.uk 3 points 5 days ago

That's not necessarily why, the origins of the word are lost to the mists of time. Either might be true!

[–] Gumus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 5 days ago

that other "football" game

Handegg