The British term for the dark arts done with style. A player who wins a free kick by falling over, then celebrates in the opponent's face, is engaging in shithousery. The word carries admiration: it is what you call gamesmanship when the man doing it is on your side and funny about it.
American readers keep asking. It is not an insult. In British usage 'shithouse' as a compliment is one of the more confusing things the language does, and football is where it happens most.
Seen throughout Euro 2024: a full-back holding the ball by the corner flag for ninety seconds, the caption 'elite shithousery', and 40,000 likes. The word peaked with every knockout game.
Dark Arts is the tactic; shithousery is the performance. Time-wasting is dark arts. Time-wasting while grinning at the away end is shithousery. The difference is entirely about the face.
What does it mean? Write it the way you would say it out loud.
