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Polish · The Terraces

kibol

KEE-bol · /ˈki.bɔl/

Football hooligan — the hard-core, trouble-seeking end of fandom.

3/5 Watch your audience

genuinely rude; friends only, never at work

Literally

"(pejorative augmentation of 'kibic' — fan)"

Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.

How to use it

Kibic is a fan; kibol is the militant kind — the organized ultras-and-worse world of Polish club football, with its tifos, pyro, ancient inter-city hatreds and occasional forest-clearing fistfights. As a word it's mostly used ABOUT that world, disapprovingly; said TO a serious supporter it's an insult, and watch-your-audience 3 is mostly about not misjudging which pub you're in. Practical traveler note: club derby days (especially Kraków's "holy war," Wisła–Cracovia) are days to wear neutral colors.

Heard in the wild

Zamknęli stację, bo kibole jadą na derby.

They closed the station because the hooligans are heading to the derby.

Where it lands

Poland (universal)

Quick answers

What does "kibol" mean?
In Polish, "kibol" means "Football hooligan — the hard-core, trouble-seeking end of fandom.". Literally it's "(pejorative augmentation of 'kibic' — fan)". Kibic is a fan; kibol is the militant kind — the organized ultras-and-worse world of Polish club football, with its tifos, pyro, ancient inter-city hatreds and occasional forest-clearing fistfights. As a word it's mostly used ABOUT that world, disapprovingly; said TO a serious supporter it's an insult, and watch-your-audience 3 is mostly about not misjudging which pub you're in. Practical traveler note: club derby days (especially Kraków's "holy war," Wisła–Cracovia) are days to wear neutral colors.
Is "kibol" offensive?
It's genuinely rude — a 3/5 (Watch your audience) on the Punch-o-Meter. Fine among friends, never at work or with people you've just met.
How do you pronounce "kibol"?
Say it "KEE-bol" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ˈki.bɔl.

Related in Polish

sędzia kalosz! SEN-jah KAH-losh Ref, you're blind! — the classic stadium heckle. jebać [rywala]! YEH-bahch The terrace hate-chant template: 'Fuck [rival club]!' — comprehension first. Polska, gola! POL-skah GOH-lah Come on Poland, score! — the national team's simplest chant. spoko SPOH-koh Chill / no worries / it's fine — the great Polish de-escalator. skurwysyn skoor-VIH-sin Son of a bitch — a hard, aimed insult with the kurwa root inside. ty kurwo tih KOOR-voh You whore / you bitch — the aimed kurwa, a different animal entirely.

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