[Aaron Poochigian]

Tell me what first comes to mind when you read the words "old sod."

Do you think "old sod" as in "old turf," "one's native land"

or do you think "old sod" as in "an old sodomite" ("that old sod is never gonna change his ways")

?

[Matt Q]

Without context, definitely the latter, since it's a common usage. I can't remember the last time I heard someone use the word "sod" to mean "turf".

[Mark McDonnell]

Hi Aaron,

Definitely the latter. Although the connotations of 'sodomy' are barely there. Oddly enough, 'silly sod' and 'daft bugger' are very mild profanities much beloved of old ladies. My gran would use them, but never a 'fuck' would pass her lips.

[Ann Drysdale]

There's an overtone of affection to the phrase.

[John Isbell]

An American equivalent might be "old coot".

[Aaron Poochigian]

Got it. Thank you, everyone.

Mark, I taught an obscene Ancient Greek poem in a British translation, and my very American students were astounded to learn that "bugger" means "butt-fuck" in UK English. Here's another question--is "buggery" exclusively male on male? Can a male "bugger" a female or would that be an unidiomatic thing to say? I ask not just out of perverse curiosity but because of a translation issue.

Ann, I have become very interested in what I call "affectionate insults" (they are always dependent on context). I will add "sod" to the list.

Thank you, Matt and John, for giving your reaction and explaining.

It seems clear to me now that, on hearing the sentence "she went back to the old sod," the British mind would assume the "sod" is a person and not a place.

[Jerome Betts]

Get the impression sod in the turf sense was (is?) much more used in America than here from the mid-19th century on. I agree that without a context to the contrary 'she went back to the old sod' would be taken by most BE speakers to mean a man. However, The 12 vol edition of the OED gives
b. the (old) sod, one's native district or country; spec., Ireland.

[Aaron Poochigian]

Nonetheless, John,

I fear that you belong to the so-called "Chatterley" generation:

Sexual intercourse began
In nineteen sixty-three
(which was rather late for me) -
Between the end of the "Chatterley" ban
And the Beatles' first LP.

Up to then there'd only been
A sort of bargaining,
A wrangle for the ring,
A shame that started at sixteen
And spread to everything.

Then all at once the quarrel sank:
Everyone felt the same,
And every life became
A brilliant breaking of the bank,
A quite unlosable game.

So life was never better than
In nineteen sixty-three
(Though just too late for me) -
Between the end of the "Chatterley" ban
And the Beatles' first LP.

[Aaron Poochigian]

Here's Larkin using "old sod:"

I'm sorry to say, that as life looks today,
I'm going to reside out in Wellington,
Where everyone's rude, and ashamed of a nude,
and nobody's heard of Duke Ellington;
Life, you aren't a god, you're a bloody old sod
For giving me such an employment
'Cos in such a bad job only pulling my knob
Will bring me the slightest enjoyment.

[Esther Murer]

On a related matter, I've gotten flack for writing "for the nonce." I gather "nonce" is the British equivalent of US "nance" (nancy boy), is that right? Then there are nonce-words and nonce-forms....