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Russian · In the Stands

Мазила!

mazila

mah-ZEE-lah · /mɐˈzʲilə/

Butterfingers! / You missed, you clown!

2/5 Bar-safe

coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances

Literally

"One who smears/misses"

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

How to use it

Yelled at a striker who fluffs an open goal — from "mazat'," to miss/smear. Half insult, half despair. Works beyond sport for anyone who keeps missing or botching (a bad shot in pool, a spilled drink). Mild and comic more than cruel.

Heard in the wild

С двух метров не забил! Мазила!

Missed from two meters! Butterfingers!

Where it lands

Russia (universal)

Quick answers

What does "Мазила!" mean?
In Russian, "Мазила!" means "Butterfingers! / You missed, you clown!". Literally it's "One who smears/misses". Yelled at a striker who fluffs an open goal — from "mazat'," to miss/smear. Half insult, half despair. Works beyond sport for anyone who keeps missing or botching (a bad shot in pool, a spilled drink). Mild and comic more than cruel.
Is "Мазила!" offensive?
It's on the mild end — 2/5 (Bar-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances.
How do you pronounce "Мазила!"?
Say it "mah-ZEE-lah" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: mɐˈzʲilə.

Related in Russian

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