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Glite Dictionary
Sod's Law

Sod's Law

9.3
When things can go wrong, they often do
  • idiom
  • /sɒdz lɔː/
  • UK
translation icon : la ley de Sod
  • You know what they say about Sod's Law—if something can go wrong, it will!

Examples

  • You know Sod's Law; if you're running late, every traffic light will be red.

  • It was just my luck that, under Sod's Law, my car broke down on the way to the meeting.

  • According to Sod's Law, it started raining just after I washed my car.

  • Whenever I forget my umbrella, Sod's Law guarantees it will pour with rain.

  • According to Sod's Law, if something bad can happen, it usually does at the most inconvenient time.

  • Whenever I plan an outdoor event, Sod's Law says it will inevitably rain that day.

  • You can always count on Sod's Law to make your travel plans go awry when you least expect it.

Synonyms

Murphy's Law
vsSod's Law
2 6.6

A funny idea that if something can go wrong, it will

is the British humorous name for that same idea

Surface Forms

Sod's Law singular
Sod's Laws plural
Sods Laws plural
Sods Law singular

Morphology

Sod's + law

The phrase is a culturally specific, humorous proverb whose meaning ('if something can go wrong, it will') is not derivable from the literal parts: knowing 'law' (a rule) and the slang/unknown 'sod' does not lead to that specific inference. 'Sod's' is a colloquial/derogatory term and here functions as a proper-name-like label (analogous to 'Murphy's Law'), so the overall sense is idiomatic and unpredictable for a B1 learner even if they know the individual words.

Etymology

Sod's Law probably comes from the British slang sod, meaning an unlucky or unpleasant person, combined with law as a rule, so the picture is of bad luck following that 'sod'. So Sod's Law is a joking way to say 'if something can go wrong, it will'.