Expressions used about bad luck, or about somebody who has had a lot of it: “Poor Joe. He’s really been having ________.”
| TOUGH LUCK | 185 |
| HARD TIME | 129 |
| HARD LUCK | 123 |
| BAD LUCK | 69 |
| HARD TIME OF IT | 54 |
| TOUGH TIME | 50 |
| BAD BREAKS | 48 |
| TOUGH SLEDDING | 42 |
| ROUGH TIME | 37 |
| IT TOUGH | 29 |
| HARD TIMES | 26 |
| IT ROUGH | 22 |
| TROUBLE | 20 |
| BAD TIME | 19 |
| HIS TROUBLES | 19 |
| RUN OF BAD LUCK | 18 |
| HARD GOING | 17 |
| STREAK OF BAD LUCK | 13 |
| HELL OF A TIME | 12 |
| DOWN ON HIS LUCK | 11 |
| TOUGH GOING | 11 |
| MORE THAN HIS SHARE | 10 |
| TROUBLES | 10 |
| BAD STREAK | 9 |
| IT HARD | 9 |
| IT | 8 |
| MISFORTUNE | 8 |
| TIME OF IT | 8 |
| ROTTEN LUCK | 7 |
| TOUGH BREAKS | 7 |
| HIS SHARE | 6 |
| BAD TIMES | 5 |
| HECK OF A TIME | 5 |
| HELL | 5 |
| HE’S HAD IT | 5 |
| HIS SHARE OF TROUBLES | 5 |
| LOT OF BAD LUCK | 5 |
| POOR LUCK | 5 |
| TERRIBLE TIME | 5 |
| TIME | 5 |
| BAD TIME OF IT | 4 |
| DEVIL’S AFTER HIM | 4 |
| HE’S DOWN ON HIS LUCK | 4 |
| HIS SHARE OF BAD LUCK | 4 |
| JINX | 4 |
| JONAH | 4 |
| LOT OF TROUBLE | 4 |
| LOTS OF TROUBLE | 4 |
| ROUGH GOING | 4 |
| TOUGH | 4 |
| TOUGH TIMES | 4 |
| BAD RUN OF LUCK | 3 |
| DOWNFALL | 3 |
| HIS SHARE OF TROUBLE | 3 |
| ILL LUCK | 3 |
| IT BAD | 3 |
| LOT OF HARD LUCK | 3 |
| STREAK OF HARD LUCK | 3 |
| TOUGH BREAK | 3 |
| TOUGH TIME OF IT | 3 |
| UNLUCKY | 3 |
| BAD RUN | 2 |
| BAD STREAK OF LUCK | 2 |
| BUMMER | 2 |
| DOWN AND OUT | 2 |
| HARD BREAKS | 2 |
| HARD WAY TO GO | 2 |
| HIS UPS AND DOWNS | 2 |
| MISERABLE TIME OF IT | 2 |
| OUT OF LUCK | 2 |
| PROBLEMS | 2 |
| REVERSES | 2 |
| ROUGH | 2 |
| ROUGH BREAK | 2 |
| RUN OF HARD LUCK | 2 |
| RUN OF TOUGH LUCK | 2 |
| SPELL OF BAD LUCK | 2 |
| STRING OF BAD LUCK | 2 |
| TOUGH GO OF IT | 2 |
| WORKS | 2 |
| ALL THE BAD BREAKS | 1 |
| AWFUL LOT OF BAD LUCK | 1 |
| AWFUL LUCK | 1 |
| AWFUL TIME | 1 |
| BACK OF THE EIGHT BALL | 1 |
| BAD BREAK | 1 |
| BAD TROUBLE | 1 |
| BEEN A-HUBBIN’ IT | 1 |
| BEEN CATCHING IT | 1 |
| BEEN DOWN AND OUT | 1 |
| BEEN DOWN ON HIS LUCK | 1 |
| BEEN GETTING HIS LUMPS | 1 |
| BEEN HOODOOED | 1 |
| BEEN LUCKED OUT | 1 |
| BEEN ON THE OUTERS | 1 |
| BEEN VERY UNLUCKY | 1 |
| BLACK CLOUDS BEEN FOLLOWING HIM | 1 |
| BREAKS HAVE BEEN AGAINST HIM | 1 |
| BUM LUCK | 1 |
| CATCHING HELL | 1 |
| CATCHING THE DEVIL | 1 |
| DEVIL OF A TIME | 1 |
| DEVIL ON HIS TRAIL | 1 |
| DEVIL TRIED HIM | 1 |
| DEVIL’S OWN LUCK | 1 |
| DICKENS OF A TIME | 1 |
| DIFFICULT TIME | 1 |
| DOWN IN THE DUMPS | 1 |
| DOWN ON THE LUCK ISN’T HE | 1 |
| EVERYTHING GOING AGAINST HIM | 1 |
| FATE’S FROWNED UPON HIM | 1 |
| GETTING IT IN THE TEETH | 1 |
| GOT A BUM DEAL | 1 |
| HAD IT TOUGH | 1 |
| HADN’T PAID THE PREACHER | 1 |
| HARD KNOCK | 1 |
| HARD KNOCKS | 1 |
| HARD ROW TO HOE | 1 |
| HARD ROW TO STUMP | 1 |
| HARD RUN OF LUCK | 1 |
| HARD SLEDDING | 1 |
| HASN’T BEEN PAYING THE PREACHER | 1 |
| HE IS DOWN | 1 |
| HE IS JINXED | 1 |
| HE REALLY GETS HIS DOZE | 1 |
| HE WAS TRIED | 1 |
| HECTIC TIME | 1 |
| HELLISH LUCK | 1 |
| HE’S A LUCKLESS FELLOW | 1 |
| HE’S A REGULAR JOB | 1 |
| HE’S BEEN HARD UP | 1 |
| HE’S DOWN IN HIS LUCK | 1 |
| HE’S HAD THE COURSE | 1 |
| HE’S LOST NOW | 1 |
| HE’S NOT LIVING RIGHT | 1 |
| HE’S OUT OF LUCK | 1 |
| HE’S REALLY DOWN ON HIS LUCK | 1 |
| HE’S REALLY HAD IT | 1 |
| HE’S SO UNFORTUNATE | 1 |
| HE’S SURE CATCHING HELL | 1 |
| HE’S SURE CAUGHT HELL | 1 |
| HIS | 1 |
| HIS BUMPS | 1 |
| HIS DOWNFALL | 1 |
| HIS LUCK’S RUN OUT | 1 |
| HIS NEGATIVE THING | 1 |
| HIS PART OF IT | 1 |
| HIS PROBLEMS | 1 |
| HIS RUN OF BAD LUCK | 1 |
| HIS SHARE OF HARD LUCK | 1 |
| HIS SHARE OF HARD TIMES | 1 |
| HIS SHARE OF IT | 1 |
| HIS SHARE OF NO’S | 1 |
| HIS SHARE OF TOUGH LUCK | 1 |
| HIS TIME OF IT | 1 |
| HIS TROUBLE | 1 |
| HIT HARD | 1 |
| HIT IT HARD | 1 |
| HIT ROCK BOTTOM | 1 |
| IF IT WASN’T FOR BAD LUCK YOU’D HAVE NO LUCK AT ALL | 1 |
| IS UNFORTUNATE | 1 |
| IT PRETTY TOUGH | 1 |
| IT’S SOMETHING TO GO THROUGH | 1 |
| JOB TROUBLE | 1 |
| JOE, IF IT WASN’T FOR HARD LUCK, YOU WOULDN’T HAVE NO LUCK AT ALL | 1 |
| JUMPED OUT OF A BED OF ROSES AND LANDED IN SHIT FACE DOWN | 1 |
| LORD SMILES ON THE RIGHTEOUS AND SMITES THE WICKED | 1 |
| LOSER | 1 |
| LOST HIS RABBIT’S FOOT | 1 |
| LOT OF GRIEF | 1 |
| LOT OF REVERSES | 1 |
| LOT OF TOUGH LUCK | 1 |
| LOUSY LUCK | 1 |
| LOW STREAK | 1 |
| LUCK OF JOB | 1 |
| LUCK OF THE IRISH | 1 |
| LUCK’S RUNNING AGAINST HIM | 1 |
| MISFORTUNES | 1 |
| MORE THAN HIS SHARE OF IT | 1 |
| NASTY BREAK | 1 |
| NEVER RAINS BUT WHAT IT POURS | 1 |
| NO LUCK | 1 |
| NO LUCK AT ALL | 1 |
| NOT LIVING RIGHT | 1 |
| ONE FOOT ON BANANA PEEL | 1 |
| PASSLE OF BAD LUCK | 1 |
| PLENTY OF TROUBLE | 1 |
| POOR TIME OF IT | 1 |
| POOR TIMES | 1 |
| POOR, HARD LUCK | 1 |
| POOR-MOUTHING | 1 |
| PUNK LUCK | 1 |
| QUITE A FEW MISFORTUNES | 1 |
| REALLY HIT IT HARD | 1 |
| ROCKY ROAD | 1 |
| ROOF CAVED IN ON HIM | 1 |
| ROTTEN | 1 |
| ROUGH GO OF IT | 1 |
| ROUGH ROW TO HOE | 1 |
| ROUGH SLEDDING | 1 |
| RUN OUT OF LUCK | 1 |
| SERIOUS TIME | 1 |
| SETBACKS | 1 |
| SIEGE OF BAD LUCK | 1 |
| SNAKE EYES IS GOT HIM | 1 |
| SOMEBODY UPSTAIRS DOESN’T LIKE HIM | 1 |
| STEPPED IN SHIT | 1 |
| STROKE OF BAD LUCK | 1 |
| STROKE OF EVIL | 1 |
| TAIL END OF THE DEAL | 1 |
| TERRIBLE LOT OF HARD LUCK | 1 |
| THREE STRIKES AGAINST | 1 |
| TIGHT TIME | 1 |
| TIME TODAY | 1 |
| TOUGH GO | 1 |
| TOUGH ROW | 1 |
| TOUGH TITTY | 1 |
| TOUGH TURKEY | 1 |
| TURN OF BAD LUCK | 1 |
| UP AGAINST IT | 1 |
| UPHILL BUSINESS | 1 |
| VERY BAD TIME | 1 |
| VERY UNLUCKY | 1 |
| WEIRD LUCK | 1 |
| WORST THERE WAS | 1 |
DARE Data Summary by Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.