Footy Lingo The Wonderful World of Football Football has given rise to quite a few bloopers - but also to phrases, technical jargon, bizarre nicknames and vivid descriptions. Stephan Reich introduces us to the wonderful world of footy lingo in six entertaining articles. © Goethe-Institut e. V./Illustration: Tobias Schrank Word! The Language Column The (Failed) Ticker Bot Takeover First the bad news: the robots are taking over – at least in sportscasting. Then the good news: they’re still just dumb machines spitting out nonsense. Stephan Reich © Goethe-Institut e. V./Illustration: Tobias Schrank Word! The Language Column The Freckly is Round No language is as ornate as that of sports, as you can tell from the panoply of colourful football phrases used in different countries around the world. Stephan Reich © Goethe-Institut e. V./Illustration: Tobias Schrank Word! The Language Column Thinking from one column to the next Footballese has produced an amazing array of hackneyed phrases that come in handy for football players and officials alike because they can mean everything and nothing. But what if we were to use these stock phrases in everyday life, too? Stephan Reich © Goethe-Institut e. V./Illustration: Tobias Schrank Word! The Language Column Asymmetric technical jargon The development of football is progressing rapidly, and its language is changing at the same rate. Not everyone likes that. But there’s no stopping it now. Stephan Reich © Goethe-Institut e. V./Illustration: Tobias Schrank Word! The Language Column National bombomastics Hardly any footballers get away without a nickname, and fantasy knows no bounds here. These pet names demonstrate an affectionate approach to language, the pun involved and their own passion. Stephan Reich © Goethe-Institut e. V./Illustration: Tobias Schrank Word! The Language Column Instagrammar The internet isn’t just “new territory” – it also changes the way we speak and write. Footballers in particular are fond of putting their foot in it. Stephan Reich
