The nickname: effzeh
If you spend any time reading about the club on Twitter, you have come across this as a hashtag. It would be easy enough to recognize it as a club-oriented hashtag and just utilize it without ever bothering to figure out what it means.
If you are this practical, here’s your low-effort opportunity to unveil the mystery behind this term.
In short “effzeh” is an onomatopoeia for “FC” spoken in the local dialect. That’s it! It’s neither an acronym, nor a nickname for some semi-secretive event or figure in club history. It’s just how it sounds when someone with a heavy Kölsch accent refers to “FC”. You can hear this in the club hymn “Mer Stonn Zo Dir,” which is sung entirely in Kölsch and largely unintelligible for many German speakers outside the city.
Kölsch also is the name of the beer you find served in little glasses around the city, and no matter what your local hipster brewers tell you, they are not making a Kölsch. If you’re brewing it outside greater area surrounding the city, it’s a Kölsch-style ale or something, somewhat like the way most sparking wine is not actually “champagne.” Whatever you call it, though, it’s refreshingly delicious, so just drink it and worry about pronunciation later.
The Hymn: “Mer Stonn Zo Dir”
Once upon a time, I spent the better part of several days translating “Mer Stonn Zo Dir” from Kölsch to English (via ‘high’ German). I am pretty sure there was at least one error in it, but it did give me a great perspective on the song you hear the home crowd at Rhein Energie Stadium singing as the clubs walk onto the pitch. It also was a fun exercise for the “linguistic nerd” side of my personality.
When the whole ground sings… | Foto: SASCHA SCHUERMANN/AFP/Getty Images
The song was written and recorded by a local band called “De Höhner.” Its title literally translates to “We stand by you”. I am under the impression that can also be taken to mean “We belong to you,” which makes sense in the context of it being a club (yes, a genuine club you can join and therefore belong to!).
The most-repeated phrase in the song , and one you’ve likely found yourself mimicking as you watch from your television room (it’s not just me and my kids, is it?), “effzeh Kölle.” Add the fact that “Kölle” is Kölsch for Köln to what you’ve learned about “effzeh” and you realize you’re just calling to the club, over and over again.
The remainder of the lyrics sing about the reach of the club through the neighborhoods of its hometown (Ehrenfeld, Raderthal, Nippes, Poll, Esch, Pesch und Kalk) and beyond (Rio and Rome) and of the many conditions through which the bond between supporters and club maintain its strength (thick or thin, joy or sorrow, rich or poor, etc.). It’s a few minutes of “we are all in this together!” set to the tune of traditional Scottish song “Loch Lemond,” which may explain why you thought it sounded instantly familiar the first time you heard it.
This brings us to the end of the first edition of effzeh 101. If there are topics you’d like to see covered in this manner, please feel free to leave commentary below telling us what you need to know about your German football obsession. We will do our best to address as much as we can!
and, as always . . . COME ON EFFZEH!
