Each week the languagecaster team will explain a football phrase or cliche for learners of English who love the sport. On this week’s show we look at the expression ‘to nutmeg someone‘. Click on the link below to learn about the word or phrase, while you can also read the transcript. You can also find many more examples by going to our football phrase page here football cliches here and our huge football glossary here.
Listen here: To Nutmeg.mp3
This week’s English for football phrase is to nutmeg someone. To nutmeg someone is a footballing move where a player kicks the ball between the opposing player’s legs and gathers the ball by running past them. When a defending player is nutmegged, it is seen as very embarrassing. The defending player looks like a fool, they are made to look like a bad defender as it is a basic error to allow someone to beat you by kicking the ball through your open legs. Now, this week, Liverpool played Chelsea in the league, and the Chelsea captain, John Terry, was nutmegged three times. Suarez nutmegged him twice and Andy Carroll also nutmegged Terry. To nutmeg.