[Ads-l] Tough luck!

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

I think the difference in the meaning of "tough luck" hinges on the
empathetic stance of the speaker. Nowadays, "tough luck" is often
employed when empathy is absent.

(1) Someone is experiencing adversity, and the speaker is expressing
schadenfreude.
(2) Someone is experiencing adversity, and the speaker is indifferent.
(3) Someone is experiencing adversity, and the speaker is empathetic.

On Fri, Mar 27, 2020 at 6:08 PM Mark Mandel <markamandel at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Why do you single out the 1874 quotation as sarcastic? ISTM that all of
> them have the same meaning as today: It's a bad outcome/fact/state of
> affairs, but that's the way it turned out.
>
> Mark Mandel
>
> On Thu, Mar 26, 2020 at 4:20 PM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > OED: 1912
> >
> > Note that 1874 is sarcastic. which seems to me to be the more common
> > nuance. (Cf. "Tough!")
> >
> > 1871  _Chicago Tribune_ (March 12) 3:  The latter's small score was the
> > aggregation of several 2 and 3 runs, combined with tough luck in the way of
> > leaves, kisses, and close misses.
> >
> > 1873 New Hampshire Sentinel (Keene, New Hampshire) (Aug. 21)  1:  Uncle
> > Simon was surprised to see the bottom of the meal chest. "Tough luck!" said
> > he briefly, "but there's swamp pork to eke it out."
> >
> > 1874 _Daily Constitution_ (Middletown, Conn.) (June 29) 2: The young man is
> > banished to the Caucassus [sic] for life [for handing stolen diamonds over
> > to his paramour] and has been deprived of the Cross of St. George which he
> > had just won distinguished service in the Khivan campaign. Tough luck!
> >
> > Newspaper exx. explode at this point, suggesting that the phrase had been
> > around for some time.
> >
> > The "1832" at Google Books is bogus.
> >
> > JL
> > --
> > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org