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Feb 02 2004 Leave a Comment

Mildly amusing Japanese-English #4

Hole-in-one

If this was used on the golf course it wouldn’t be amusing at all, but when you hear it chanted in a football stadium, it does have a certain novelty value.

I’m not sure if it’s a chant used by all Japanese football fans, as I only go and watch FC Tokyo, but every game I’ve been to it’s been sung (shouted?) at least once. Yet despite my best efforts, I still can’t work out its meaning. No event on the pitch as far as I’m concerned has warranted a cry of hole-in-one. Nor do I ever expect one to.

Admittedly I could find out by simply asking somebody, but then the mystery would be gone. And quite possibly the amusement factor too. Because not only is the chant entertaining in itself, but it is often accompanied by fans making an “O” shape with their arms. The “O” presumably depicting a hole.

Work that one out.

Categorized: Language, Sports

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