What does sod's law mean?
Definitions for sod's law
sod's law
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word sod's law.
Princeton's WordNet
Murphy's Law, Sod's Lawnoun
humorous axiom stating that anything that can go wrong will go wrong
Wikipedia
Sod's law
Sod's law, a British culture axiom, states that "if something can go wrong, it will". The law sometimes has a corollary: that the misfortune will happen at "the worst possible time" (Finagle's law). The term is commonly used in the United Kingdom, though in North America, the phrase "Murphy's law" is more popular.The phrase seems to derive, at least in part, from the colloquialism an "unlucky sod"; a term for someone who has had some bad (unlucky) experience, and is usually used as a sympathetic reference to the person.A slightly different form of Sod's law states that "the degree of failure is in direct proportion to the effort expended and to the need for success."An alternative expression, again in British culture, is "hope for the best, expect the worst".
ChatGPT
sod's law
Sod's law is a British term, akin to Murphy's Law, referring to the idea that if something can go wrong, it will. It expresses the cynicism or pessimism of expecting that problems or difficulties will always occur, particularly at the most inconvenient times.
Wikidata
Sod's law
Sod's law is a name for the axiom of "bad fortune will be tailored to the individual" and "anything that can go wrong, will". "Toast will always land butter side down" is often given as an example of Sod's law in action. The phrase is seemingly derived, at least in part, from the colloquialism an "unlucky sod"; a term for someone who has had some bad unlucky experience, and is usually used as a sympathetic reference to the person. The term is still used in the United Kingdom, though in North America the eponymous "Murphy's law" is more popular. Sod's law is similar to, but broader than, Murphy's law. For example, concepts such as "bad fortune will be tailored to the individual" and "good fortune will occur in spite of the individual's actions" are sometimes given as examples of Sod's law in action. This would broaden Sod's law to a general sense of being "mocked by fate". In these aspects it is similar to some definitions of irony, particularly the irony of fate. Murphy's technological origin on John Stapp's Project MX981 is more upbeat - it was a reminder to the engineers and team members to be cautious and make sure everything was accounted for, to let no stone be left unturned — not an acceptance of an uncaring uninfluencable fate.
Matched Categories
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of sod's law in Chaldean Numerology is: 9
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of sod's law in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3
Translations for sod's law
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- hukum sodIndonesian
- legea lui sodRomanian
- luật sodVietnamese
- 草皮定律Chinese
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"sod's law." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/sod%27s+law>.
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