How “football” became “soccer”

American soccer fans are well aware that the sport they call “soccer” is best known as “football” in other parts of the world. But there’s a very logical explanation: “Soccer” comes from “assoccer,” which was short for “association football.” That term was used to distinguish the game from “rugby football.”​

And if you love the soccer tournaments but aren’t a fan of hyphens, here’s some good news: You don’t need a hyphen in “quarterfinal” or “semifinal.”

What words do you think could lose, or need, a hyphen?

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