Since joining the Forum, I, together with many other members of the Forum, have been irritated by the number of times the word ‘Swiss’ is used incorrectly. The Swiss as a people - correct; Swiss as an adjective – correct; but never, ever has it been the name of the country we live in. Not in German, not in French, not in Italian, not in Rhaeto-Romanic and not in English.
And what did I see on Swiss Television last evening?
Football Match on SF2. WM Qualifikation Israel - 2, Swiss – 2.

Trying to fathom out where this usage originated – I wonder if it didn’t spring from people hearing SUISSE, the French form, used correctly, and, as the English adjective ‘Swiss’ was increasingly used by the Swiss themselves in the names of firms and organisations, (Swissboring, Swiss Swimming, Swiss Olympic) it was then increasingly used abroad as the name of the country itself.
Whatever the reason, I think we are fighting a losing battle, guys. I capitulate.

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Longbyt

Unbelievable, but you're right:



I think that the score was added by Israeli TV. I hope that the federal council will formally protest.

"Switzerland" is too long and would only cause the score display to cover even more screen space. Besides, since when did correct grammar and spelling matter to football fans?

I agree that the word Switzerland is a bit long, but what is wrong with one of the four correct names for this country? Come to think of it, I don't suppose Israel is the 'correct' name for Israel either - as non-Hebrew speakers, we would just see a line of squiggles - so we are quits really.

great point and topic, longbyt.
I think Switzerland is a long word but that's no excuse...Swiss does sound silly ....
I sometimes just refer to Switzerland as CH or "see-ha"...is that also bad??
I like CH...i remember when i was a small otter collecting stamps and I would come across CH on the stamp and i could never fathom which country is was from!

Perhaps showing the country flags instead of the names would be a solution. What is more, it would have the added benefit of educating viewers as they learn to recognize the Israeli flag. Two birds with one stone.

And I was sitting hoping that Federer would put in a complaint about the fact that his name was printed in much smaller font than his opponent on Eurosport in yesterdays game.

Agreed, agreed, agreed. BUT, we like to think of English as a flexible language that adapts and bends to the age and circumstance.

Our language has been adopted round the world. People take adjectives and use them as nouns, like Handy: is that a German noun or an English adjective?

Likewise a Smart. This goes so much against the grammatical grain that the English media insists on calling it the "Smart Car". So too the rebirth of 'Swiss Air' as 'Swiss'. BA may actually want to hide the 'British' part, dropping the flag, rather than flying it, so we fly 'BA' or 'British Airways' but now we fly 'Swiss'.

What I am saying is that using 'Swiss' as a noun is currently grammatically incorrect, but it may well be correct in the future. As with all changes in English, it will be the users who decide, not an academic panel. Even my mother in the UK now responds to the question 'How are you?' with 'I'm good'. It's all changing, so go with the flow...

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That's why I said, I capitulate!
My husband and I discussed that too, but I wasn't sure if it was really a smaller Font, or it was an optical illusion. Having the capital D and 2 'o' s makes Djokovic's name look a bit bigger to me anyway. 'Federer' looks altogether 'smaller', not just the one letter shorter, even when both are written in the same font, as here. What really mattered though is that Federer won! Pity the footballers didn't.

I know this is a little bit off-topic, but I just had to post it.

Near here, we have a glass company which also makes shower units under the name "Swiss Douche" ???!!? Could be tricky, depending on how you look at it......

Have also seen a lorry with the logo "Swiss Boring" on the side.
Some kind of drilling company, I suspect! (I hope!)

Another good translation from one of my students with dual-nationality:

"Yeah, I'm a double-burger, you know"

Sadly, he didn't specify with or without cheese!!!

And yet another spelling!

20 Minuten > Crazy Down Under 2011 > picture nr. 51

I referred to my newly arrived friend as a "Schweizerburger" and she thought I was calling her a piece of meat. I have to refrain until her German gets better.

Swiss ? Perhaps a short for Swiss Confederation