German · 5 phrases

Sports & the Terraces

Football is where Germans get loudest. Abuse the Schiri (ref), demand the team "zeig mal Eier," and know your Bundesliga history — "Flasche leer" has been an insult since Trapattoni's 1998 meltdown.

Flasche leer! FLASH-uh LAIR Out of gas / totally spent (of a player or team) Bist du blind, oder was? BIST doo BLINT OH-der VASS Are you blind or what?! — the all-purpose bad-call howl Gurkentruppe GOOR-ken-troop-uh A shambolic bunch of losers / a Sunday-league outfit Schiri, du Pfeife! SHEE-ree doo PFY-fuh Ref, you useless clown! Zeig mal Eier! TSYKE mahl EYE-er Show some balls! / Grow a pair!