That's why there's the vuvuzela. The plastic noise-maker is a very South African way of paying homage to the game. When blown correctly, it makes a loud, and fans say inspiring, cacophony.

Acoustics expert explains why the sound of the vuvuzela is so hard on the ears. June 15, 2010— -- Love 'em or loathe 'em, the blaring plastic trumpets have become the hallmark of matches at ...

Annoying vuvuzela, adorable jungle cat. Annoying vuvuzela, adorable jungle cat. We are SO CONFLICTED. We are totally dialed in and have been loving the 2010 FIFA World Cup. But if you’ve watched ...

Lots more aspirin. Let’s call the incessant sound of the mass vuvuzela onslaught both a cultural delight and a tad annoying. We can both appreciate it as a South African tradition and be driven ...

The source of that sound, of course, is the now-infamous vuvuzela, a plastic horn that has many soccer fans, announcers and even players screaming for a little peace and quiet. But one person’s ...

It's a sad state of affairs when a cheap plastic horn is the talk of the World Cup - perhaps it's because the football so far has been pretty dismal - but, undeniably, the vuvuzela has so far been the ...

"Before sales averaged 20,000 a month but two weeks before the World Cup, we started selling 20,000 a day," said Clinton Currie, 36, who runs the Johannesburg-based Vuvuzela Branding Co., which ...

The South African vuvuzela trumpets, hugely popular with South African World Cup spectators, are a great nuisance to fans and players alike. The South African spectators do not require the excuse ...

Watch The World Cup in a public space and eventually someone will ask, “What’s that awful noise?” (Hint: It’s not The Swarm come to life.) (More from TIME: What Is That Weird Hum During ...

There were even vuvuzela apps that would blare on command. I use mine to let people know when they've said something unsubstantiated, or just annoying. The Ultimate Alarm Project invites creative ...

Let’s call the incessant sound of the mass vuvuzela onslaught both a cultural delight and a tad annoying. We can both appreciate it as a South African tradition and be driven to watch World Cup ...