Editing Shit happens

{{Short description|Slang phrase used as a simple existential observation}}
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'''''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> 

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>

==History==
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.&nbsp;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 A footnote says that Werthman's short contribution to the book is "Excerpted from 'Gang members and the police', unpublished M.A. thesis, [[University of California, Berkeley]], 1964."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>

==Examples of usage==
[[File:Sticker art in Sydney - 2025 d.jpg|thumb|255x255px|A variation being used in sticker art. "SILVA" is the tag of the sticker artist. Sydney, 2025]]
The term is used on the back of a car sticker in the episode [[Speed 3]] of Father Ted

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>

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>

==See also==
{{Wiktionary|shit happens}}
* {{annotated link|Murphy's law}}
* {{annotated link|Butterfly effect}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Portal bar|Language}}

== External links ==
{{Spoken Wikipedia|EN-shit happens-article.ogg|date=2022-12-29}}

[[Category:English phrases]]
[[Category:English-language slang]]
[[Category:Comedy catchphrases]]
[[Category:Slogans]]
[[Category:English profanity]]
[[Category:1964 quotations]]