Danish word of the day: Bundesligahår
Photo by Francesco Ungaro on Unsplash and Nicolas Raymond/FlickR
If you're familiar with the 'business at the front, party at the back' approach to hairstyles, you'll need to know today's Danish word of the day.
What is 'Bundesligahår'?
We'll start with the easy part. Hår is the Danish word for hair. So any word with a prefix in front of 'hår' must be a name of a type of hair or hairstyle.
Bundesliga is not a Danish word at all, but is the name of the highest division of professional football in Germany (literally meaning something approximate to 'national federation league'), similar to the Premier League in England, Premiership in Scotland, Serie A in Italy and so on.
So Bundesligahår means, literally, 'top division of German football-hair'.
And what does it refer to?
You may have already guessed by now, but Bundesligahår is what is most commonly referred to in English as a mullet. That is, the hairstyle in which the hair is cut short and tidy at the front and sides, but is long at the back (and not the species of fish).
The Danish name is apparently to the reference of the high prevalence of the style amongst German footballers during its heyday, perhaps most notably that of former Werder Bremen striker Rudi Völler (who also played in the Italian and French leagues during his career).
Belated happy birthday to German striker Rudi Völler. Great player for Roma, Werder Bremen, Marseille, 1860 Munich, Bayer Leverkusen & Kickers Offenbach. One of only 4 men to have reached a WC Final as both player & manager. pic.twitter.com/uIRNF0ohrx
— The Culture of Football Classics (@CFclassics) April 15, 2021
Völler played 90 times for the West Germany and Germany men's national teams between 1982 and 1994, giving the iconic style no shortage of international exposure.
Why do I need to know this?
The distinctive trim was last year reported to be making a comeback in Denmark -- with the Covid-19 epidemic given part of the blame (or credit?) for its reappearance.
"All the boys were unable to get a haircut for many months [due to lockdowns, ed.], so their hair has now got long, and some are beginning to experiment with it," fashion expert Marlene Malling told broadcaster TV2.
American singer Miley Cyrus has also sported a version of what Danes would call Bundesligahår. The Local cannot confirm whether she did this as an homage to Rudi Völler.
Alternative expressions
You might also hear a mullet referred to in Danish as svenskerhår ('Swedish hair'), whereas in Sweden it is referred to as a hockeyfrilla ('hockey haircut').
Comments
See Also
What is 'Bundesligahår'?
We'll start with the easy part. Hår is the Danish word for hair. So any word with a prefix in front of 'hår' must be a name of a type of hair or hairstyle.
Bundesliga is not a Danish word at all, but is the name of the highest division of professional football in Germany (literally meaning something approximate to 'national federation league'), similar to the Premier League in England, Premiership in Scotland, Serie A in Italy and so on.
So Bundesligahår means, literally, 'top division of German football-hair'.
And what does it refer to?
You may have already guessed by now, but Bundesligahår is what is most commonly referred to in English as a mullet. That is, the hairstyle in which the hair is cut short and tidy at the front and sides, but is long at the back (and not the species of fish).
The Danish name is apparently to the reference of the high prevalence of the style amongst German footballers during its heyday, perhaps most notably that of former Werder Bremen striker Rudi Völler (who also played in the Italian and French leagues during his career).
Belated happy birthday to German striker Rudi Völler. Great player for Roma, Werder Bremen, Marseille, 1860 Munich, Bayer Leverkusen & Kickers Offenbach. One of only 4 men to have reached a WC Final as both player & manager. pic.twitter.com/uIRNF0ohrx
— The Culture of Football Classics (@CFclassics) April 15, 2021
Völler played 90 times for the West Germany and Germany men's national teams between 1982 and 1994, giving the iconic style no shortage of international exposure.
Why do I need to know this?
The distinctive trim was last year reported to be making a comeback in Denmark -- with the Covid-19 epidemic given part of the blame (or credit?) for its reappearance.
"All the boys were unable to get a haircut for many months [due to lockdowns, ed.], so their hair has now got long, and some are beginning to experiment with it," fashion expert Marlene Malling told broadcaster TV2.
American singer Miley Cyrus has also sported a version of what Danes would call Bundesligahår. The Local cannot confirm whether she did this as an homage to Rudi Völler.
Alternative expressions
You might also hear a mullet referred to in Danish as svenskerhår ('Swedish hair'), whereas in Sweden it is referred to as a hockeyfrilla ('hockey haircut').
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.