"An Everyday Word in Korea"... BBC Surprised by the English Term Taking Off

BBC Introduces the Expression "Leeds Days"
Now Used as an Everyday Word Meaning "Prime" or "Heyday"

"The expression 'Leeds days' in Korean originated from the transfer of a football star." On January 1 (local time), the British broadcaster BBC introduced the phrase 'Leeds days' in a story titled "How a Football Star’s Transfer Created a Korean Expression."

The BBC explained the background behind the birth of the trendy term 'Leeds days' and how widely the word is used throughout Korea.

Alan Smith (right) and Cristiano Ronaldo during their Manchester United days. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

According to the report, 'Leeds days' stems from the story of Alan Smith, the star striker of Leeds United in the English Premier League (EPL), who transferred to rival club Manchester United in 2004 but failed to perform as well as he had previously.

Korean fans coined the neologism 'Leeds days' to describe the period when Smith was at his peak, contrasting his outstanding performance at Leeds with his less impressive form after the transfer. At that time, interest in English professional football was surging in Korea, as Korean football legend Park Jisung joined Manchester United. Coinciding with Park Jisung’s arrival, the expression 'Leeds days' spread rapidly and became a common term referring to "the good times that have passed."

The BBC noted, "Smith could never have imagined that his transfer would spark a linguistic phenomenon thousands of kilometers away in Korea, one that continues to this day."

There have even been cafes and restaurants named after 'Leeds days,' which means "the good times that have passed." Recently, it has become common to omit 'days' and simply use 'Leeds,' which has solidified as a word meaning "prime" or "heyday."

The BBC reported, "The phrase 'Leeds days' has now become an everyday expression for Korea's 52 million people," adding, "Ironically, many of them seem to have never heard of the city of Leeds or the player himself."

Dr. Xu Qier, a Korean language instructor at the University of Leeds, explained in an interview with the BBC, "The term 'Leeds days' has evolved to refer to a person’s youth, or the peak of a superstar, singer’s popularity, or wealth." She also mentioned, "Recently, especially among younger generations, people often drop 'days' and simply say 'Leeds' to mean someone’s prime."