Sod's Law

vans · 16 Feb 2009, 05:34 PM

Is “sod's law” just a British phrase or is it known generally in the English speaking world? I guess you would define it as an unfortunate coincidence?

Examples

I am recommended to look at namecheap.com, so I try to look at the site and it is down.

Sometimes, late at night I use a narrow, winding county road. No cars in either direction for miles and miles. But if I have to pass a parked car, a whole stream of cars come in the opposite direction and I have to wait. Once I pass the car, nothing on the road except me.

The T junction at the bottom of our road. Normally I can just drive straight out into the main road, unless I am in a hurry. If I am in a hurry, every car for miles around decides to use the main road at the exact time I get to the T junction. So I end up waiting for ages.

If you have any sod's law experiences, please share them so I don’t feel singled out for special treatment.

nooby · 16 Feb 2009, 05:54 PM

My native language is Swedish so sod was new to me.

We name it the McMurphy law after our Irish American Hero.

http://www.scq.ubc.ca/the-murphys-law-equation/

Quote:

“If anything can possibly go wrong, it will, and at the worst possible time”

Happens to me all the time.

Yesterday I felt for listening to a piece of music on spotify, they didn't have it, youtube usually have but not that one, so what about Last.fm well they suggested me to log in to do the search.

So I wrote the username I thought I had and the password but it wasn't the one I had choosed.

So I looked did a search in WLM email client to see if I had an email from them somewhere so I at least could recover which email address I had given to them. Nothing came up.

Aha I must have used Opera inbuilt M2 mail client. But Murphy's law was in action so I had accidently hit some pref and had now way to know what to hit again to get it back to normal. I fail to see the emails I only see one email at a time and not the usual view of all emails and I go into prefs and try desperately to get it back to normal and I fail and I write a question about it in EMD and no Opera user feel for answering me and I have also forgotten what username I have at Opera forum and the password there and ...

murphy's law is the name we use.

n5bb · 19 Feb 2009, 10:27 AM

Wikipedia entry on Murphy's Law and similar 'laws'

I think "Sod's Law" is mainly used in Britain. In the US, all you hear is Murphy's Law.

Bill

vans · 19 Feb 2009, 09:22 PM

Yes, I know of Murphy’s Law. And I agree with the Wikipedia that it might be very slightly different from Sod’s Law. Perhaps a sub set of Sod’s Law.

Sod’s Law - "the most inconvenient turn of events is the most likely”

Murphy’s Law "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong

What ever it is I still feel especially victimized by it. It happened again today. My PC is playing up, I think the hard disk has a problem (and it to small) so I buy one from Amazon, I want it urgently. At the same time I also buy a book, not urgent, I will read it at some time in the future. Guess which one was delivered today!

n5bb · 21 Feb 2009, 10:51 AM

Speaking of Amazon ...

I have an Amazon Kindle ebook reader. I can find a book I like using the Kindle, order it using pre-saved ordering details, and it is delivered wirelessly to the Kindle in a couple of minutes! Talk about instant gratification!

Bill

theog · 21 Feb 2009, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vans

It happened again today. My PC is playing up, I think the hard disk has a problem (and it to small) so I buy one from Amazon, I want it urgently. At the same time I also buy a book, not urgent, I will read it at some time in the future. Guess which one was delivered today!

Trick question... I'd say the hard drive was delivered today....

vans · 21 Feb 2009, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by n5bb

Speaking of Amazon ...

I have an Amazon Kindle ebook reader. I can find a book I like using the Kindle, order it using pre-saved ordering details, and it is delivered wirelessly to the Kindle in a couple of minutes! Talk about instant gratification!

Bill

n5bb, you are forgetting the terrible power of Sod's Law. If I buy a Kindle, I already know (due to Sod's Law) that i will be able to download any book in the world, except for the one I really want.

theog, You were nearly correct.

16 Feb 2009, 05:34 PM	#1
vans Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 59	Sod's Law Is “sod's law” just a British phrase or is it known generally in the English speaking world? I guess you would define it as an unfortunate coincidence? Examples I am recommended to look at namecheap.com, so I try to look at the site and it is down. Sometimes, late at night I use a narrow, winding county road. No cars in either direction for miles and miles. But if I have to pass a parked car, a whole stream of cars come in the opposite direction and I have to wait. Once I pass the car, nothing on the road except me. The T junction at the bottom of our road. Normally I can just drive straight out into the main road, unless I am in a hurry. If I am in a hurry, every car for miles around decides to use the main road at the exact time I get to the T junction. So I end up waiting for ages. If you have any sod's law experiences, please share them so I don’t feel singled out for special treatment.

19 Feb 2009, 10:27 AM	#3
n5bb Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: May 2004 Location: Irving, Texas Posts: 8,929	Wikipedia entry on Murphy's Law and similar 'laws' I think "Sod's Law" is mainly used in Britain. In the US, all you hear is Murphy's Law. Bill

19 Feb 2009, 09:22 PM	#4
vans Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 59	Yes, I know of Murphy’s Law. And I agree with the Wikipedia that it might be very slightly different from Sod’s Law. Perhaps a sub set of Sod’s Law. Sod’s Law - "the most inconvenient turn of events is the most likely” Murphy’s Law "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong What ever it is I still feel especially victimized by it. It happened again today. My PC is playing up, I think the hard disk has a problem (and it to small) so I buy one from Amazon, I want it urgently. At the same time I also buy a book, not urgent, I will read it at some time in the future. Guess which one was delivered today!

21 Feb 2009, 10:51 AM	#5
n5bb Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: May 2004 Location: Irving, Texas Posts: 8,929	Speaking of Amazon ... I have an Amazon Kindle ebook reader. I can find a book I like using the Kindle, order it using pre-saved ordering details, and it is delivered wirelessly to the Kindle in a couple of minutes! Talk about instant gratification! Bill