final whistle
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final whistle
The referee's whistle signal that indicates the end of a game, especially in sports.
Die Heimmannschaft schoss das entscheidende Tor erst Sekunden vor dem Abpfiff.
The home team scored the decisive goal just seconds before the final whistle.
'Abpfiff' (final whistle) is a compound noun made up of the prefix 'ab-' (which signals an end here) and 'der Pfiff' (the sound of a whistle). So it is literally the whistle that ends something.
Alle warteten gespannt auf den Abpfiff des Schiedsrichters.
Everyone waited anxiously for the referee's final whistle.
In a sports context, 'Abpfiff' (final whistle) is often combined with time expressions to describe the exact moment. Typical phrases are 'kurz vor dem Abpfiff' (shortly before the final whistle), 'direkt nach dem Abpfiff' (right after the final whistle), or 'mit dem Abpfiff' (at the final whistle).
Die Mannschaft schaffte den Ausgleich erst kurz vor dem Abpfiff.
The team only managed to equalize shortly before the final whistle.
The figurative meaning is often used colloquially for the end of the workday. The expression is then usually: 'Für heute ist Abpfiff.' (That's it for today.)
So, Leute, für heute ist Abpfiff! Wir sehen uns morgen früh.
All right, folks, that's it for today! See you tomorrow morning.
end
'das Ende' and 'der Abpfiff' can both mean the moment when something is over. However, 'das Ende' is very general and fits many situations, for example a film, a course, or an event. 'der Abpfiff' originally comes from sports: a referee blows the whistle, and that ends the game. Figuratively, 'Abpfiff' can also mean the definitive end of something, but then it sounds more metaphorical and often somewhat journalistic. In everyday language, 'Ende' is more neutral and more broadly usable.
Nach dem Abpfiff jubelten die Spieler über den knappen Sieg.
After the final whistle, the players celebrated the narrow victory.
Am Ende des Films waren alle im Kino ganz still.
At the end of the film, everyone in the cinema was completely quiet.