# Word for luck without implying.. "luck?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 28, 2012, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-luck-without-implying-luck/623394 "2012-05-28T23:40:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DaveBfd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DaveBfd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveBfd)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-luck-without-implying-luck/623394/1 "2012-05-28T23:40:02Z")
Im wondering if there is a word for “luck” (in any language if necessary) that doesnt invoke some kind of magic in causing the end result. Maybe this doesnt make sense, but… Id like to hear opinions or answers please. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-luck-without-implying-luck/623394/2 "2012-05-29T00:22:18Z")
The word “chance” is often used to mean a course of events without a specific cause, magical or otherwise. Jung developed the concept of [synchronicity](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synchronicity) to explain coincidence in a scientific, rather than magical way, but I’m not sure he was really able to make his point. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-luck-without-implying-luck/623394/3 "2012-05-29T00:40:18Z")
good fortune, perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-luck-without-implying-luck/623394/4 "2012-05-29T00:41:37Z")
I don’t think the word “luck” itself necessarily implies a “magical” cause. But there’s also “fortune” (as in, being fortunate or unfortunate). ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-luck-without-implying-luck/623394/5 "2012-05-29T00:56:16Z")
Happy coincidence? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-luck-without-implying-luck/623394/6 "2012-05-29T01:02:36Z")
Blessing, or the hand of God, if you’re inclined to believe that deific powers are not magical in nature. ---
**Author:** ![isaiahrobinson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85e7bf/32.png) [@isaiahrobinson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/isaiahrobinson)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-luck-without-implying-luck/623394/7 "2012-05-29T01:02:44Z")
In what context? Do you want a way of saying “good luck” to someone without implying they need it? ---
**Author:** ![bahia\_hombre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@bahia\_hombre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bahia_hombre)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-luck-without-implying-luck/623394/8 "2012-05-29T01:04:43Z")
godspeed(?) ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-luck-without-implying-luck/623394/9 "2012-05-29T01:12:59Z")
I think we need to get used to saying things like “that was a lucky break!” without being overly concerned that others might view us as believing in luck fairies, deities or cosmic karma in the same way that many people say “bless you” after somebody sneezes even though they don’t mean to imply religiosity. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-luck-without-implying-luck/623394/10 "2012-05-29T01:16:00Z")
To me, the word _happenstance_ implies “things just happened to work out this way,” without any supernatural agency involved in it. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-luck-without-implying-luck/623394/11 "2012-05-29T01:24:42Z")
Does depend upon context a bit. My first thought was “chance” too. A game of chance, is synonymous with a game of luck. (Usually gambling). Perhaps its anthropomorhpic personification in Lady Luck is what makes us thing of magic/supernatural intervention in luck. That and chance in a million. “Feeling lucky” is the other one. Usually swiftly followed by penury. Happenstance is a great word. It probably cover most of the rest. If you are a Fleming fan happenstance is not the same as coincidence. (To be followed by enemy action.) ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-luck-without-implying-luck/623394/12 "2012-05-29T01:26:19Z")
Serendipity might fit, depending on the usage/context. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-luck-without-implying-luck/623394/13 "2012-05-29T01:29:13Z")
> [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#): > > I think we need to get used to saying things like “that was a lucky break!” without being overly concerned that others might view us as believing in luck fairies, deities or cosmic karma in the same way that many people say “bless you” after somebody sneezes even though they don’t mean to imply religiosity. In my experience, only the most ardent Christians seem to care about the term. I don’t know that many open atheists in real life, but none of those I did know had a problem with luck. Very few people actually believe in luck in this way, in my experience. These Christians have their own reasons–magical thinking that spiritual words have meaning even if you don’t mean them that way. These are the same people who won’t celebrate Halloween because it has satanic origins, despite the fact that no one uses it to worship Satan anymore. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-luck-without-implying-luck/623394/14 "2012-05-29T01:32:12Z")
[http://thesaurus.com/browse/luck?s=t](http://thesaurus.com/browse/luck?s=t) \<— Thesauri can be your friends, see if that helps! ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-luck-without-implying-luck/623394/15 "2012-05-29T03:17:59Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > Serendipity might fit, depending on the usage/context. This was my first thought as well, and I think it fits best. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-luck-without-implying-luck/623394/16 "2012-05-29T03:21:56Z")
[“Break a leg”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Break_a_leg) means “Good luck” by contraries, owing to a theatrical superstition against wishing luck explicitly. (Probably. Another interpretation is that it means, “Take a good bow at the end,” with one knee bent.) ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-luck-without-implying-luck/623394/17 "2012-05-29T03:25:30Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > [http://thesaurus.com/browse/luck?s=t](http://thesaurus.com/browse/luck?s=t) \<— Thesauri can be your friends, see if that helps! The plural form is [“thesauruses”](http://www.thefreedictionary.com/thesauruses). Not every word ending in -es or -us is pluralized by adding extra "i"s to the end. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-luck-without-implying-luck/623394/18 "2012-05-29T03:44:22Z")
“providence”? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-luck-without-implying-luck/623394/19 "2012-05-29T05:16:12Z")
> [@neuroman](#): > > The plural form is [“thesauruses”](http://www.thefreedictionary.com/thesauruses). Not every word ending in -es or -us is pluralized by adding extra "i"s to the end. Thank you for pointing this out. And there’s no such word as “penii”. ---
**Author:** ![DaveBfd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DaveBfd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveBfd)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-luck-without-implying-luck/623394/20 "2012-05-29T06:10:32Z")
I like a few of these words, but my specific situation was that I said after a short story that “luck doesnt exist” jokingly but also to make a point and a friend countered by saying a man won the lottery two times and asked me how I would describe it. I just said he got lucky.. but only because I didnt think English had a word to describe it properly. Surprisingly I didnt think to say coincidence, which I think fits best unless anyone here disagrees. Serendipity is probably my second choice. I know chance describes it, but chance isnt a verb to describe his luck accurately in this situation IMO. I appreciate the replies. Can anyone comment on another language and try to define the word in English for me? Just out of curiosity. > [@](#): > > I think we need to get used to saying things like “that was a lucky break!” without being overly concerned that others might view us as believing in luck fairies, deities or cosmic karma in the same way that many people say “bless you” after somebody sneezes even though they don’t mean to imply religiosity. I agree of course, but this was just a bit of a joke with my friend. I dont think I have encountered trouble saying/implying luck as frankly very few people care in either case because the word has so many meanings and is rarely taken to be a literal power of sorts. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-luck-without-implying-luck/623394.md?page=2)