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cursing.in curse like a local

Turkish · The Terraces

Şike var!

shee-KEH VAR · /ʃiˈce vaɾ/

It's rigged! / The game's fixed!

2/5 Bar-safe

coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances

Literally

"There is match-fixing"

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

How to use it

The accusation that runs through Turkish football culture like a bloodline — every fan is certain the system is bent against their club. "Şike var!", "şikeci" (a fixer/cheat as an insult), a whole vocabulary of conspiracy. Not profane, but it'll start a two-hour argument at any tea house. A live, load-bearing part of the fan experience.

Heard in the wild

Bu maç baştan ayarlı, şike var!

This match was rigged from the start — it's fixed!

Where it lands

Turkey-wide; football context

Quick answers

What does "Şike var!" mean?
In Turkish, "Şike var!" means "It's rigged! / The game's fixed!". Literally it's "There is match-fixing". The accusation that runs through Turkish football culture like a bloodline — every fan is certain the system is bent against their club. "Şike var!", "şikeci" (a fixer/cheat as an insult), a whole vocabulary of conspiracy. Not profane, but it'll start a two-hour argument at any tea house. A live, load-bearing part of the fan experience.
Is "Şike var!" 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 "Şike var!"?
Say it "shee-KEH VAR" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ʃiˈce vaɾ.

Related in Turkish

Şerefsiz sheh-ref-SEEZ Scumbag / dishonorable piece of work Hakem şerefsiz! hah-KEM sheh-ref-SEEZ The ref's a cheat! / Dishonorable referee! Yıkıl git karşımdan! yuh-KUHL GEET kar-shuhm-DAHN Get out of my sight / do one Yuh! YOO(h) Boooo! / For shame! / Come ON! Hadi aslanlar! hah-DEE ahs-lahn-LAR Come on, lads! / Let's go, boys! Ya YAH Come on / seriously / ugh — a softener-slash-intensifier tacked on for feeling

The same idea, elsewhere

Via concepts like "Unbelievable".

how to say "Unbelievable" →

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