The OED has a first citation from 1928 (Lit. Digest 22 Dec. 16/1 “Athlete’s foot.. from which more than ten million persons in the United States are now suffering"); does anybody know whether this is calqued on a foreign expression, or whether other languages with similar expressions, e.g. Spanish (pie de atleta), have modeled them on English?

No Dutch connection here, I think. We say ‘voetschimmel’ (foot fungus) or ‘zwemmerseczeem’ (swimmer’s eczema).

Oh well.  I guess it’s too vile a subject to think about.

I do have rather athletic feet, thanks for asking. They astound and confound people. But I’ve heard in German they call it Kaesefuss.

OK, what about the parallel jockrot and crotchrotch?

Oh brother, there goes the thread. Well LH, he did wait ;)

Another, less serious Dutch name for the infliction is ‘tenenkaas’ (toe cheese). That sort of resembles the German ‘Käsefuß’ you mention which I suppose is also not the official name.

Edit: what might be interesting is that the cheese references in Dutch and German may be related to the cheesy smell often associated with athelete’s foot. A chemistry teacher once told me that smelly feet are caused by bacteria that produce butyric acid which is indeed the same acid that gives cheese its particular odor.

Since the thread is now beyond disgusting, I might well note that the substance that accumulates between the toes (say, after a long hike on a hot day) is called ”toe jam” in these parts (upper left-pondia).  Also ”toe cheese.”

edited out unconfirmed citation

Glad I glanced at this thread after supper and not before

Dutchtoo - 30 May 2007 06:48 AM

Oh brother, there goes the thread. Well LH, he did wait ;)

Another, less serious Dutch name for the infliction is ‘tenenkaas’ (toe cheese). That sort of resembles the German ‘Käsefuß’ you mention which I suppose is also not the official name.

Edit: what might be interesting is that the cheese references in Dutch and German may be related to the cheesy smell often associated with athelete’s foot. A chemistry teacher once told me that smelly feet are caused by bacteria that produce butyric acid which is indeed the same acid that gives cheese its particular odor.

The bacterial problem is usually a secondary infection. Normally, it’s the fungus Trichophyton that is thought of as causing athlete’s foot.

Since not all cheeses have bacteria, I’m guessing toe cheese must be a Stilton.

Since not all cheeses have bacteria,

Not all, but the overwhelming majority.  The few that don’t involve bacterial fermentation of milk are relatively odorless.

I never associated toe jam and athlete’s foot as related. One can get athlete’s foot without the jam. But, I see in the definition at Merriam Webster that it can be caused by several different fungi or unrelated organisms. I had assumed it was one specific fungi that caused it. So, I guess toe jam could cause it.

I caught athlete’s foot while in the service. It seems my bunkmate switched socks on me. It took years and many different medications before it truely left me. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.

jockrot and crotchrotch - British equivalent would be Trench Willy

Quite a distance from the feet, 244.

jockrot and crotchrotch - British equivalent would be Trench Willy

Never heard of Trench Willy* - you mean dhobi rash surely?

*unless he’s a cousin of Groundskeeper Willie