Green’s Dictionary of Slang

to mess around, to waste time; thus sodding about n.

1972		K. Bonfiglioli Don’t Point That Thing at Me (1991) 44: Come on, Charlie, let’s stop sodding about.
1974		G.F. Newman You Flash Bastard 36: Old policemen taked about how easy it all was nowadays with the aid of xerox copiers and civilian typists, recalling those days when they had to write everything in triplicate, and sod around with carbons.
1988		D. Smith Silver Spoon Murders 99: I can make your life a misery if you’re sodding about.
2006		A. Moore et al. V for Vendetta 167: What was the point of all that sodding about with detection, and evidence, and proof in court.

to butt in.

1950

W. Sansom ‘Impatience’ in Lehmann Penguin New Writing No. 40 33: Sodding in on his territory, not bloody likely?

to go away, to leave.

1989		T. Blacker Fixx 50: I told him to sod off.
1999		J. Poller Reach 89: Then he sods off to Greece.
2000		Indep. Rev. 15 Jan. 6: The older you get, the more you can tell people to sod off.

a general excl. of exasperation, resignation, annoyance etc.

1940		P. Larkin letter 9 Dec. in Thwaite Sel. Letters (1992) 4: I suppose my writing is terrible. Sod & ballocks, anyway. Not to mention cunt & fuck.
1949		K. Amis letter 1 Feb. in Leader (2000) 198: If Perón keeps on like this I suppose I shan’t get my £75, soddit.
1959		A. Sillitoe ‘The Disgrace of Jim Scarfedale’ Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner (1960) 126: Sod it, some people said.
1965		E. Bond Saved Scene vi: Sod!
1977		J. Rosenthal Spend, Spend, Spend Scene 74: Four quid – out of the six I’d saved up – went when the TV chap called for his arrears. So I thought ‘Sod it!’, I thought.
1985		S. Berkoff West in Decadence and Other Plays (1985) 116: Oh sod it.
1999		Indep. Rev. 21 June 8: Oh, sod it. I’ll stay in tonight and have beans on toast.
2000		Guardian G2 14 Mar. 22: ‘Oh sod!’ said Delia.
2008		(ref. to 1971) F. Dennis ‘Old Bailey’ Homeless in my Heart 179: A con from the National Front / Snarls ‘Sod it!’, his eyes like slits.

an excl. of surprise, incomprehension.

1958

C. Lee diary 10 June in Eight Bells & Top Masts (2001) 125: Sod me! Your sodding shoes are melting.

go away!

1958		(con. 1940s) B. Behan Borstal Boy 299: ‘Sod off!’ said the boy indignantly.
1978		A. Burgess 1985 (1980) 181: Sod off [...] Shove your gun in your fetid left armpit and pull the trigger.
1979		F. Norman Too Many Crooks Spoil the Caper 35: Sod off the pair of you.
1982		A. Bleasdale ‘Shop thy Neighbour’ in Boys from the Blackstuff (1985) [TV script] 171: Oh! Sod off, Chrissie.
1992		I. Rankin Wolfman 108: Sod off, you old fart.
2003		N. Griffiths Stump 79: An I don’t give two fucks what it means so sod off an shurrup.

see fuck that/this for a game of soldiers! under fuck v.

1. a general excl. of hostility, dismissal; also used with other pronouns.

1950		W. Sansom ‘Impatience’ in Lehmann Penguin New Writing No. 40 31: ‘Sod you for a start,’ Sally said.
1999		Guardian Weekend 5 June 38: They didn’t want the Ken Russell Jesus Christ. Sod ’em.
1999		Guardian G2 24 June 9: So I thought sod you, I’m off.

2. attrib. use of sense 1.

1989		T. Blacker Fixx 161: A take-the-money-and-sod-the-rest-of-you-merchant to the last.
2001		Indep. Rev. 2 June 4: A sod you, up yours attitude.
2024		J. Meades Empty Wigs (t/s) 839: [A]part from a sod-you yacht, a sod-you fucking chateau, a sod-you island [...] , a sod-you helicopter, a sod-you townhouse [...] and a sod-you botox doll he’s totally low profile.