German · Sports & the Terraces
Flasche leer!
FLASH-uh LAIR · /ˈflaʃə leːɐ̯/
Out of gas / totally spent (of a player or team)
1/5 Grandma-safe
mild, playful; fine on daytime TV
Literally
"Bottle empty!"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
A cultural artefact: coach Giovanni Trapattoni's legendary 1998 Bayern Munich rant, in broken German, gave the language "Flasche leer" (a player who's an empty bottle) and "Ich habe fertig" (I have finished). Every football fan over 30 quotes it. Retro and beloved rather than current slang — use it and you're making an in-joke.
Heard in the wild
Der Stürmer ist Flasche leer, wechsel ihn aus!
The striker's completely spent, sub him off!
Where it lands
Germany — football in-joke since 1998
Quick answers
- What does "Flasche leer!" mean?
- In German, "Flasche leer!" means "Out of gas / totally spent (of a player or team)". Literally it's "Bottle empty!". A cultural artefact: coach Giovanni Trapattoni's legendary 1998 Bayern Munich rant, in broken German, gave the language "Flasche leer" (a player who's an empty bottle) and "Ich habe fertig" (I have finished). Every football fan over 30 quotes it. Retro and beloved rather than current slang — use it and you're making an in-joke.
- Is "Flasche leer!" offensive?
- It's on the mild end — 1/5 (Grandma-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. mild, playful; fine on daytime TV.
- How do you pronounce "Flasche leer!"?
- Say it "FLASH-uh LAIR" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ˈflaʃə leːɐ̯.
Related in German
Zeig mal Eier! TSYKE mahl EYE-er Show some balls! / Grow a pair! 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! Bist du blind, oder was? BIST doo BLINT OH-der VASS Are you blind or what?! — the all-purpose bad-call howl Mist! MIST Crap! / Rats! — the family-friendly 'damn' Quatsch! KVATCH Nonsense! / Rubbish! / No way!
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