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Do You Speak Football?: A Glossary of Football Words and Phrases from Around the World
'At last, the definitive guide to football phraseology across the world... Sparky and very funny.'
Paul Hayward, Daily Telegraph
'' Amusing and informative in equal measure.'
Oliver Kay, The Times
An expertly compiled and utterly fascinating compendium of the weird and wonderful words and phrases used to describe football around the world.
To speak football is to speak a language of a thousand tongues…
In this ground-breaking global glossary of football words and phrases, you'll discover the rich, quirky and joyously creative language used by fans, commentators and players across the world.
From placing a shot 'where the owl sleeps' in Brazil, to what it means to use your 'chocolate leg' in the Netherlands, via Wembley-Tor – a phrase adopted by Germans to describe a dubious goal – this comprehensively researched book will entertain and inform in equal measure.
Discover the unfortunate Finnish term for a holding midfielder, what it means when South Korean fans get nostalgic about a 'Leeds season' and why Dundee United supporters should keep their heads down in Nigeria.
With over 700 terms from 89 countries (including 29 ways to describe a nutmeg), this is the definitive guide to the global language of football.
Paul Hayward, Daily Telegraph
'' Amusing and informative in equal measure.'
Oliver Kay, The Times
An expertly compiled and utterly fascinating compendium of the weird and wonderful words and phrases used to describe football around the world.
To speak football is to speak a language of a thousand tongues…
In this ground-breaking global glossary of football words and phrases, you'll discover the rich, quirky and joyously creative language used by fans, commentators and players across the world.
From placing a shot 'where the owl sleeps' in Brazil, to what it means to use your 'chocolate leg' in the Netherlands, via Wembley-Tor – a phrase adopted by Germans to describe a dubious goal – this comprehensively researched book will entertain and inform in equal measure.
Discover the unfortunate Finnish term for a holding midfielder, what it means when South Korean fans get nostalgic about a 'Leeds season' and why Dundee United supporters should keep their heads down in Nigeria.
With over 700 terms from 89 countries (including 29 ways to describe a nutmeg), this is the definitive guide to the global language of football.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published May 15, 2018
23 people are currently reading
176 people want to read
About the author
Tom Williams
3 books23 followersTom Williams is a football writer and broadcaster who lives in London. Specialising in French and English football, he has had writing published by The Times, The Guardian, The Independent and The Athletic. He is the resident Premier League expert on Canal+ in France and a regular guest on the UK's leading football podcast, The Totally Football Show. He is the author of Do You Speak Football? and Va-Va-Voom.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 9, 2018
Do You Speak Football – I Thought I Did
Tom Williams has come up with a book, Do You Speak Football, that is an excellent toilet read for many. It is a book that you can dip in and out of, that is very funny while at the same time is rich in detail. This is one of those quirky books that comes along every so often and that is highly addictive.
Within the covers of this book there are over 700 terms from somewhere close to 89 countries and is a definitive guide to the global language of football. Tom Williams has compiled one of the most fascinating compendium of facts and weird facts as well as words that are used to describe the beautiful game of football from around the world.
One of my favourite players, Sergio Aguero would be described in Germany as Knipser who has scored in the past a lupenreiner Hattrick. Or I could describe David Silva as having a Zauberfuss, who completes many zukerpass. That is just in German!
As a Marwaha who loves seeing a jahfali in Arabic or in zona cesarini or plain English a goal in Fergie time, who doesn’t love a goal then.
This is a book that will be constantly referred to, that has the ability to always raise a smile. Football is well known as the beautiful game around the world but has a language unto itself in every country. This is an excellent little book, viva la football as we say in Manchester
Tom Williams has come up with a book, Do You Speak Football, that is an excellent toilet read for many. It is a book that you can dip in and out of, that is very funny while at the same time is rich in detail. This is one of those quirky books that comes along every so often and that is highly addictive.
Within the covers of this book there are over 700 terms from somewhere close to 89 countries and is a definitive guide to the global language of football. Tom Williams has compiled one of the most fascinating compendium of facts and weird facts as well as words that are used to describe the beautiful game of football from around the world.
One of my favourite players, Sergio Aguero would be described in Germany as Knipser who has scored in the past a lupenreiner Hattrick. Or I could describe David Silva as having a Zauberfuss, who completes many zukerpass. That is just in German!
As a Marwaha who loves seeing a jahfali in Arabic or in zona cesarini or plain English a goal in Fergie time, who doesn’t love a goal then.
This is a book that will be constantly referred to, that has the ability to always raise a smile. Football is well known as the beautiful game around the world but has a language unto itself in every country. This is an excellent little book, viva la football as we say in Manchester
July 13, 2018
I read this book during the 2018 World Cup after hearing about it on the Totally Football Show (of which I never miss an episode).
This book does well to rise above its (intrinsically fascinating) premise to provide far more than a simple glossary of footballing terms. There are plenty of books out there of this ilk (50 Football Insults in 42 Languages, or whatever) and while plenty of them might provide a moment or two of levity (ah, so that's how you sing "Who ate all the pies?" in Spanish), Williams' book does more to bring to life the links between phrases and their footballing (or non-footballing) roots across a stunning range of countries and languages. What really makes this book is the author's obvious glee in the discovery of a hilarious, surprising or clever phrase to describe a feature of the world's game.
As a Canadian, I was shocked to see "Gordie Howe hat-trick" as one of our two quite sad little inclusions (and it's really an ice hockey phrase, of course). While recently playing in Canada after many years abroad, I was told "Hey goalie, get back in your goal" (imagine a Canadian accent on the 'oa" sounds) which, while perhaps not too linguistically interesting, certainly seemed a pretty Canadian way to describe the game. Guess that's not too surprising after you've heard the less than inventive "Go Whitecaps Go" chant a few thousand times at an MLS game...
On the flip side, I remember covering a PE class in England where they were playing basketball and kept telling each other to "cross it in" from the side. Was a few years ago though...
Highly, highly recommended.
This book does well to rise above its (intrinsically fascinating) premise to provide far more than a simple glossary of footballing terms. There are plenty of books out there of this ilk (50 Football Insults in 42 Languages, or whatever) and while plenty of them might provide a moment or two of levity (ah, so that's how you sing "Who ate all the pies?" in Spanish), Williams' book does more to bring to life the links between phrases and their footballing (or non-footballing) roots across a stunning range of countries and languages. What really makes this book is the author's obvious glee in the discovery of a hilarious, surprising or clever phrase to describe a feature of the world's game.
As a Canadian, I was shocked to see "Gordie Howe hat-trick" as one of our two quite sad little inclusions (and it's really an ice hockey phrase, of course). While recently playing in Canada after many years abroad, I was told "Hey goalie, get back in your goal" (imagine a Canadian accent on the 'oa" sounds) which, while perhaps not too linguistically interesting, certainly seemed a pretty Canadian way to describe the game. Guess that's not too surprising after you've heard the less than inventive "Go Whitecaps Go" chant a few thousand times at an MLS game...
On the flip side, I remember covering a PE class in England where they were playing basketball and kept telling each other to "cross it in" from the side. Was a few years ago though...
Highly, highly recommended.
February 10, 2020
The lexicon of football is indeed richly varied. Words and expressions are routinely coined and rarely arbitrary. Each coinage is reflective of the culture from which it originates, and carried a collective feeling, a shared history, a regrettable moment, or a glorious victory. Well known terms such as joga bonito, diski, and morbo all evoke certain ideas about football, and how it should be played. Each part of the football lexicon is personal, subjective, and shifting in meaning over time—therefore, any attempt to categorise such a lexicon would prove to be a difficult task.
Tom Williams has, however, tackled this task meritoriously in his extensive glossary Do You Speak Football? In this book, the respective lexicon of eighty-nine footballing nations over seven regions is detailed in varying degrees, with ‘heavyweight’ nations commanding the most entries. Amidst this eclectic compendium—where there are at least twenty ways to describe a nutmeg and no less than fourteen creative ways to say in the top corner—Williams also cannily delves into the history of more specific expressions and teases out some glorious, seldom-told anecdotes from footballing history that even the most knowledgeable football anorak may be unaware of.
The entries are brilliant and conjure up vivid mental images. Onde dorme a coruja (‘where the owl sleeps’), fare la gavetta (‘to do the mess tin’), and pihkatappi (‘faecal plug’) are good examples of this. Panenka, timsaha yatmak (‘doing a crocodile’), and poteaux carrés (‘square posts’) all reflect moments in football history that still ripple in the present; and tuya, Héctor (‘yours, Hector’) and en rigtig Jesper Olsen (a real Jesper Olsen) are footballing expressions that have entered everyday life. There are hundreds of equally fascinating entries each accompanied by Williams’ punchy and clever explanations.
Do You Speak Football? does not have to be linearly read. Readers can dip in and out at will, though it is certainly worth reading from front to back to get full value. A concise appendix of each entry is lacking, making the book difficult to reference quickly. Where there are crossover entries—nutmeg and in the top corner, for example—there are no specific page references for similar entries. Although no entry is forced, some countries are over represented, while others are under represented.
Do You Speak Football? can also be compared to Adam Hurrey’s 2014 book Football Clichés. Both are glossaries of footballing parlance, but are very different in tone. Football Clichés is a humorous and light stocking stuffer, whereas Do You Speak Football? eschews the pithy humour to take a more erudite and meaningful look at footballing language. As such, it reflects upon how culture affects language.
The success of Do You Speak Football? is a testament to Williams’ research, and his ability to compose a fascinating anecdote. His work will appeal to all football fans, and will especially please those who appreciate esoteric football trivia. Readers of Do You Speak Football? will also gain a clearer insight into the beauty of a lexicon that is often watered down by clichés and platitudes.
HIGHLIGHTED PASSAGE
STARS: 4/5
UNDER 20: A fascinating study of football lexicon and culture that is punctuated with wonderful asides, historical anecdotes and trivia.
FULL-TIME SCORE: The l’Abatino plays a Streltsov pass to the ponta de lança, who puts on some chanfle to put the la bendita into the jep’s nest for a glorious final mark on a colourful and creative 3-1 win.
RELATED READING: Football Clichés by Adam Hurrey (2014).
Tom Williams has, however, tackled this task meritoriously in his extensive glossary Do You Speak Football? In this book, the respective lexicon of eighty-nine footballing nations over seven regions is detailed in varying degrees, with ‘heavyweight’ nations commanding the most entries. Amidst this eclectic compendium—where there are at least twenty ways to describe a nutmeg and no less than fourteen creative ways to say in the top corner—Williams also cannily delves into the history of more specific expressions and teases out some glorious, seldom-told anecdotes from footballing history that even the most knowledgeable football anorak may be unaware of.
“One of the most evocative words in World Cup History, Maracanazo was the name given to Brazil’s sensational defeat by Uruguay in the deciding match of the 1950 tournament…Nelson Rodrigues, Brazil’s greatest playwright, described it as ‘our Hiroshima’. The calamity was evoked again during the 2014 World Cup when Brazil, again the hosts, collapsed to an unbelievable 7-1 loss to Germany in the semi-finals at Belo Horizonte’s Estádio Mineirão. It was quickly dubbed the Mineirazo.” (pg. 28)
The entries are brilliant and conjure up vivid mental images. Onde dorme a coruja (‘where the owl sleeps’), fare la gavetta (‘to do the mess tin’), and pihkatappi (‘faecal plug’) are good examples of this. Panenka, timsaha yatmak (‘doing a crocodile’), and poteaux carrés (‘square posts’) all reflect moments in football history that still ripple in the present; and tuya, Héctor (‘yours, Hector’) and en rigtig Jesper Olsen (a real Jesper Olsen) are footballing expressions that have entered everyday life. There are hundreds of equally fascinating entries each accompanied by Williams’ punchy and clever explanations.
Do You Speak Football? does not have to be linearly read. Readers can dip in and out at will, though it is certainly worth reading from front to back to get full value. A concise appendix of each entry is lacking, making the book difficult to reference quickly. Where there are crossover entries—nutmeg and in the top corner, for example—there are no specific page references for similar entries. Although no entry is forced, some countries are over represented, while others are under represented.
“When a bear hibernates, a large mass of hardened matter called a faecal plug forms in its colon… In football terms, [pihkatappi] is used to describe a defensive midfielder who plugs the gap in front of his team’s defence. And you thought left-back was an unglamorous position.” (pg. 92)
Do You Speak Football? can also be compared to Adam Hurrey’s 2014 book Football Clichés. Both are glossaries of footballing parlance, but are very different in tone. Football Clichés is a humorous and light stocking stuffer, whereas Do You Speak Football? eschews the pithy humour to take a more erudite and meaningful look at footballing language. As such, it reflects upon how culture affects language.
The success of Do You Speak Football? is a testament to Williams’ research, and his ability to compose a fascinating anecdote. His work will appeal to all football fans, and will especially please those who appreciate esoteric football trivia. Readers of Do You Speak Football? will also gain a clearer insight into the beauty of a lexicon that is often watered down by clichés and platitudes.
HIGHLIGHTED PASSAGE
“Unimpressed by the performances of 18-year-old playmaker Gianni Rivera at the 1962 World Cup in Chile, [Gianni] Brera dubbed him l’Abatino, meaning ‘the Young Priest’, in mocking reference to Rivera’s slight physique and lack of defensive endeavour. The term became used to describe any thoughtful, willowy midfielder whose excellent vision and passing ability were not matched by his work-rate. Another term was euclideo (‘Euclidean’), after the Ancient Greek mathematician Euclid, which he used to describe a player who read the game well and moved in logical patterns.” (pg. 122-123)
STARS: 4/5
UNDER 20: A fascinating study of football lexicon and culture that is punctuated with wonderful asides, historical anecdotes and trivia.
FULL-TIME SCORE: The l’Abatino plays a Streltsov pass to the ponta de lança, who puts on some chanfle to put the la bendita into the jep’s nest for a glorious final mark on a colourful and creative 3-1 win.
RELATED READING: Football Clichés by Adam Hurrey (2014).
February 9, 2020
I can't help but think this is a decent series of articles that have been put together in a book.
Some of the phrases and the stories behind them were fun, or interesting, or insightful, but the whole thing came off as repetitive.
Chapter one - here's South American football slang, and every country has a word for nutmegs. Chapter break - here's all the words from around the world for nutmegs. Chapter two - here's North American slang and guess what? That term for nutmegs from a page ago? It's here again!
It's a decent enough glossary to flick through, but it's not one to read cover to cover.
Some of the phrases and the stories behind them were fun, or interesting, or insightful, but the whole thing came off as repetitive.
Chapter one - here's South American football slang, and every country has a word for nutmegs. Chapter break - here's all the words from around the world for nutmegs. Chapter two - here's North American slang and guess what? That term for nutmegs from a page ago? It's here again!
It's a decent enough glossary to flick through, but it's not one to read cover to cover.
December 26, 2018
I enjoyed this so much, especially the sections on languages/cultures I don’t know well. The surprise themes were such a joy (nutmegs, surprise ditching a defender as shopping). But in the end far too obnoxiously English. (And quite a few blatant mistakes.)
January 31, 2022
Very charming reference book. Reading it through is a bit much but lots of really neatly crafted entries here and one I could see myself coming back to. Particularly liked the cross-section it gives through time as well as geography and an entry into some history of the game I wouldn't otherwise know.
October 19, 2024
Wonderful collection of - and commentary on - the world wide use of football’s varied language. An excellent read.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews