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[[Image:Shit happens.jpg|thumb|A photograph of a [[mobile phone]] with a damaged screen, and a [[computer monitor]] behind it displaying the text "shit happens".]] |
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'''''Shit happens''''' is a slang |
'''''Shit happens''''' is a slang sentence that is used as a simple [[existentialism|existential]] observation that life is full of unfortunate unpredictable events, similar to "[[C'est la vie (phrase)|''c'est la vie'']]". The sentence is an acknowledgment that bad things happen to people seemingly for no particular reason.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199505/shit-happens|title=Shit happens|journal=[[Psychology Today]]|location=New York|date=May 1995|access-date=2007-11-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Vic & Sade (pg 02) 1940–1941|url=https://archive.org/details/VicSade1940-1941|work=Sound Recording|access-date=12 September 2011}}</ref> |
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It can also be said less vulgarly, including phrases such as "it happens" or "stuff happens".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/jeb-bush-stuff-response-gun-violence/story?id=34209380|title=Jeb Bush Says 'Stuff Happens' In Response to Gun Violence|date=2 October 2015|website=ABC News}}</ref> |
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==History== |
==History== |
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The fact that people have been remarking that shit happens has been attested from 1964, when Carl Werthman quoted an example in his [[University of California, Berkeley|UC Berkeley]] [[Master of Arts|masters]] thesis; the relevant excerpt was published in ''The American City'' (edited by [[Anselm L. Strauss]]) in 1968.<ref>The datum: "That shit happens all the time." In "The Police as Perceived by Negro Boys", ed. Carl Werthman; in ''The American City: A Source Book of Urban Imagery'', edited by Anselm L. Strauss (Chicago: Aldine, 1968), p. 285. [https://books.google.com/books?id=es2efVofRosC&dq=%22shit+happens%22&pg=PA285 Here] in [[Google Books]]. A footnote says that Werthman's short contribution to the book is "Excerpted from 'Gang members and the police', unpublished M.A. thesis, [[University of California, Berkeley]], 1964."</ref> |
The fact that people have been remarking that shit happens has been attested from 1964, when Carl Werthman quoted an example in his [[University of California, Berkeley|UC Berkeley]] [[Master of Arts|masters]] thesis; the relevant excerpt was published in ''The American City'' (edited by [[Anselm L. Strauss]]) in 1968.<ref>The datum: "That shit happens all the time." In "The Police as Perceived by Negro Boys", ed. Carl Werthman; in ''The American City: A Source Book of Urban Imagery'', edited by Anselm L. Strauss (Chicago: Aldine, 1968), p. 285. [https://books.google.com/books?id=es2efVofRosC&dq=%22shit+happens%22&pg=PA285 Here] in [[Google Books]]. A footnote says that Werthman's short contribution to the book is "Excerpted from 'Gang members and the police', unpublished M.A. thesis, [[University of California, Berkeley]], 1964."</ref> |
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==Examples of usage== |
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In a review of [[Fred Shapiro]]'s 2006 work ''[[The Yale Book of Quotations]]'', ''[[The New Yorker]]'' critic [[Louis Menand]] stated that it is "extremely interesting" that the phrase "Shit happens" was introduced to print by Connie Eble, in a publication identified as ''UNC–CH Slang'' in 1983.<ref name=menand>{{Cite magazine|last=Menand|first=Louis|title=Notable Quotables (Book review of "Yale Book of Quotations", ed. Fred Shapiro)|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|year=2007|issue=19 February 2007|url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/02/19/notable-quotables}}</ref>{{better source|reason=As this claim borders on [[WP:EXCEPTIONAL]], this New Yorker column written by a professor, seems to be a rather weak source.}} |
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In 2011, [[Australia]]n politician [[Tony Abbott]], who was at the time [[Leader of the Opposition (Australia)|Opposition Leader]] and [[leader of the Liberal Party of Australia|leader of the Liberal Party]] (later becoming [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Minister]]), used the sentence in an interview.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-02-08/shit-happens-abbott-grilled-over-digger-remark/1935128 | title='Shit happens': Abbott grilled over digger remark | newspaper=ABC News | date=8 February 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/seven-slammed-over-abbott-shit-happens-broadcast/xvaqiouv3 | title=Seven slammed over Abbott 'shit happens' broadcast }}</ref> |
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Australian toilet paper and essential goods retailer [[Shhit Happens]] uses a modification of the phrase as their trade name. Stylised as either 'Shhit Happens' or 'Shh!t Happens'.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-27 |title=Woman shares what it's like being born with two vaginas and 'no bum' |url=https://www.unilad.com/news/health/anja-christoffersen-vacterl-association-two-vaginas-228210-20240727 |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=UNILAD |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Companies |url=https://wden.com.au/companies/ |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=Women with Disabilities Entrepreneur Network |language=en-AU}}</ref> |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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[[Category:Slogans]] |
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[[Category:English profanity]] |
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[[Category:1964 |
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Latest revision as of 12:27, 6 August 2024
Shit happens is a slang sentence that is used as a simple existential observation that life is full of unfortunate unpredictable events, similar to "c'est la vie". The sentence is an acknowledgment that bad things happen to people seemingly for no particular reason.[1][2]
It can also be said less vulgarly, including phrases such as "it happens" or "stuff happens".[3]
History
[edit]The fact that people have been remarking that shit happens has been attested from 1964, when Carl Werthman quoted an example in his UC Berkeley masters thesis; the relevant excerpt was published in The American City (edited by Anselm L. Strauss) in 1968.[4]
Examples of usage
[edit]In 2011, Australian politician Tony Abbott, who was at the time Opposition Leader and leader of the Liberal Party (later becoming Prime Minister), used the sentence in an interview.[5][6]
Australian toilet paper and essential goods retailer Shhit Happens uses a modification of the phrase as their trade name. Stylised as either 'Shhit Happens' or 'Shh!t Happens'.[7][8]
See also
[edit]
Look up shit happens in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
- Murphy's law – Adage typically stated as: "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong"
- Butterfly effect – Idea that small causes can have large effects
References
[edit]- ^ "Shit happens". Psychology Today. New York. May 1995. Retrieved 25 November 2007.
- ^ "Vic & Sade (pg 02) 1940–1941". Sound Recording. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
- ^ "Jeb Bush Says 'Stuff Happens' In Response to Gun Violence". ABC News. 2 October 2015.
- ^ The datum: "That shit happens all the time." In "The Police as Perceived by Negro Boys", ed. Carl Werthman; in The American City: A Source Book of Urban Imagery, edited by Anselm L. Strauss (Chicago: Aldine, 1968), p. 285. Here in Google Books. A footnote says that Werthman's short contribution to the book is "Excerpted from 'Gang members and the police', unpublished M.A. thesis, University of California, Berkeley, 1964."
- ^ "'Shit happens': Abbott grilled over digger remark". ABC News. 8 February 2011.
- ^ "Seven slammed over Abbott 'shit happens' broadcast".
- ^ "Woman shares what it's like being born with two vaginas and 'no bum'". UNILAD. 27 July 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ "Companies". Women with Disabilities Entrepreneur Network. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
External links
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