Nutmeg

In soccer, a nutmeg is an offensive move where a player dribbles and kicks the ball between a defender's legs. The player may use the move to dribble past a defender or pass or shoot the ball between their legs.

People consider the skill "flashy" as it embarrasses the defender and makes the offensive player look like a magician. However, the move comes with some risk since the defender could stop the dribble, pass, or shot by closing their legs.

Additionally, while most people use nutmeg in soccer ("football" to the world outside of North America), you may also see or hear it used in other sports, including hockey and basketball. You may also see nutmeg abbreviated as "meg" (e.g., "He just megged that guy and scored!").

Origin of nutmeg in soccer

The origin of the "nutmeg" slang term is unclear. There are several claims about where the "nutmeg" slang term comes from, and one of the most prominent claims is related to the nutmeg spice. Since nutmeg was a valuable commodity in the 19th century, some exporters mixed other goods with nutmeg to dupe importers into paying for non-nutmeg goods at a nutmeg price.

Thus, getting nutmegged meant you were getting duped. Soccer fans then applied this phrase to when a player fools a defender by dribbling or kicking the ball between their legs.