A New Name

I've had quite a few nicknames. Some short forms of my first name, some were jokes about my last name, some for my initials, others were completely random. At one point, my nickname came from the maroon pair of socks I wore to soccer practice. Obviously I didn't want to wear my current uniform socks... then I'd have to wash them before my game... I don't like smelly socks.

I've also been called other things, less pleasant things. I've been called a robot which I'm clearly not. I'd be the worst robot ever given my inability to understand most math. I've been called a bitch (what woman hasn't?) though that one was most likely warranted. I can be rather disagreeable if I want to be. I've been called a dick, a jerk, a loser. A lot of time the last three are said in jest.

Lots of names.

Prior to today, I was under the impression that I'd been called just about everything. I was mistaken. Today someone called me "a lucky sod". I've never been called a sod. And the word 'lucky' is very rarely tacked on to my name. So to be called a 'lucky sod' was pretty different.

I read a lot of English books and watch an obscene amount of Gordon Ramsey related television so I wasn't completely in the dark. I had a fairly good idea of what a sod was. I found it pretty amusing actually. Just to make sure though, I looked up the definition of sod and found out it was grass.

The conventional dictionary failed me! I  knew what that kind of sod was and I was fairly certain that I hadn't been called a lucky roll of grass. I found the actual answer in a few less conventional dictionaries:

Sod - This word has many uses. My father always used to say "Oh Sod!" or "Sod it!" if something went wrong and he didn't want to swear too badly in front of the children. If someone is a sod or an "old sod" then it means they are a bit of a bastard or an old git. "Sod off" is like saying "piss off" or "get lost" & "sod you" means something like "f*** off". It also means a chunk of lawn of course. You can usually tell the difference! (http://www.effingpot.com/slang.shtml)

You can definitely tell the difference. Another definition was:

Noun. 1. A contemptible or objectionable person.
2. A pitiable person. E.g."He's just had his car stolen and his wife has just run off with the milkman, the poor sod." This use is also be found with the expressions 'poor bastard' and 'poor bugger'.
3. A thing or action that is difficult or problematic. E.g. "We had a sod of a journey, getting stuck in a traffic jam at Birmingham for over 3 hours." (http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/s.htm)

I have to say, after going through these sites, the English have some pretty great expressions. I just laughed out loud at one and I don't think I can type it here... it was very descriptive (if you’re curious, it was on the second site very close to ‘sod’).

Either way, I think it's pretty hilarious. And in case you were wondering why I was called a sod, I went to school and asked a prof for some help with my grad school application. I think she's a fan of a couple members of the faculty (they're popular Canadian writers). The possibility that I might be taught by one of them apparently makes me a lucky bastard. Hehehe! I can live with that.

Lauren Daily, lucky sod.