I can tell you I don’t use all these words, but if you want to get a feeling for the expressiveness of the German language, the World Cup is not a bad way to learn.
(* = familiar, ** = very familiar, *** = vulgar, s = slang, Lit. = Literally)
Die Pille (s) Football. Lit. Pill.
Das runde Leder (s) Football. Lit. The round leather
Ran an die Pille! (s) Go for the ball! Lit. Go for the pill!
Der Kasten (s) Goal. Lit. box. That’s what the whole match is about: getting the ball in the goal.
Wenn das Leder im Kasten klingelt (s) Scoring a goal. Lit. When the leather jingles in the box.
Abräumen (**) To score, Lit. To clean up.
Versenken (s) To score, Lit. To dump, to sink.
Den Ball im Tor versenken (s) To score a goal. Lit. To dump the ball in the goal.
Bolzen (s) To kick about. Playing just for fun in your spare time.
Der Bolzplatz (s) Football pitch. Lit. Kick around ground. Communal pitch, often with goal posts, where you can play football.
Der Hexenkessel (s) Football stadium of the opposing team, with the fans creating a heated atmosphere. Lit. Witch’s cauldron.
Rempeln (**) To barge into, to shove somebody away. Unfair behaviour on the football pitch.
Anfeuern (*) To cheer on, to encourage your team. Lit. To fire.
Schlachtengesänge (**) Football chants Lit. Battle songs.
As in Steh auf, wenn du für Deutschland bist (*) “Get up if you’re supporting Germany”, sung to the melody of “Go West” by the Pet Shop Boys.
La-Ola-Welle (*) La-ola-wave. Mexican wave, invented by fans at the World Cup in Mexico in 1986.
Ihr könnt nach Hause fahrn’ (*) “You can go home.” Fans greeting the opposing team.
Der Schlachtenbummler (**) Football fan who travels to support his team (home and away). Lit. Battle stroller.
Der Abstauber (**) Goal hanger, player who scores without much strategy, sometimes accidentally, Lit. Swiper.
Kleinklein (s) Passing the ball from player to player without a plan. Lit. Small small.
Die Gurkentruppe (s) Team that plays badly and unprofessionally, a disaster area, incompetent bunch of players. You get the picture. Lit. Cucumber troop.
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