http://members.comics.com/members/common/affiliateArchive.do?site=washpost&comic=forbetter
Am I misunderstanding that or did Lynn Johnston get away with one today?
That link takes me to the 7/3 strip. Is that what you mean? I don’t get it, if so. From the Post’s site, if I go to todays strip, somebody gets called a sod. Is that it?
“sod” is aparently short for “sodomite”.
It’s an affectionate term of abuse in the UK.
It is? I took my ‘fairly negative’ understanding of it from an interview (years ago) with Roger Taylor (of Queen…not Duran Duran, dang it) in which he outlined it as harsh slang for homosexual. It’s not used in that in FBOFW today (8/7/03) from the context. While Lynn Johnston has featured homosexual characters prominently in the past (and well done, too) references to homosexual slang of behavior surprise me when they get past the censors.
Remember, this is the comics…easily the most censored form of expression in the world. Frank Cho (of Liberty Meadows fame) wrote that he was prevented from picturing women in bras even though large full page ads appeared in the same newspaper section with pix of women in skimpy underwear.
Why would they be calling Michael a sod if they were referring to a homosexual? He’s not gay. Lawrence is.
I’ve also just heard it as a term of mild abuse. Wasn’t it in a Jethro Tull song? “You poor old sod, you can see it’s only me.”
I’ve almost never heard it used in the context of sodomy, though this is almost certainly the origin.
Typical context: “you won the lottery? You lucky sod!”
According to my Webster’s New World Dictionary:
Sod 3 - noun - [clip of SODOMITE] [brit. slang] same as BUGGER.
ALSO - from AskOxford.com:
(italics mine) I think that’s the meaning she’s going for here…
Considering they work at a landscaping business, I’m assuming that Lawrence meant “sod” as in “dirt”- Liz took it the step further and used it as an insult toward Michael, which would indicate lawoot’s interpretation is correct (and would explain Lawrence’s amusement).
Then again I could be completely wrong. 
I’ve always taken “sod” to be the equivilant to “dumbass” (“you stupid sod”, etc.). I have a feeling it’s the same here.
I dunno. Even if Liz meant it that way, her brother deserved it. All those years, he called her “Lizardbreath.” 
I didn’t realize that was Michael. I thought she was talking to the guy (who is gay) who’d been teaching her dancing all week.
i always thought sod meant dirt…and the insult was saying someone was dumb as dirt