I'm not talking about Domino Effect or Murphy's Law, it's something else. I used to know it, but for the life of me, I can't seem to remember. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I think it was "something" effect. Lol. Please help guys or I won't be able to sleep tonight.
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2“For want of a nail... a kingdom was lost”Dan Bron– Dan Bron2019-08-31 13:08:06 +00:00Commented Aug 31, 2019 at 13:08
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3'when it rains... it pours'lbf– lbf2019-08-31 13:15:34 +00:00Commented Aug 31, 2019 at 13:15
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1The Butterfly Effect, not necessarily bad things, but ripples in the pond.livresque– livresque2019-08-31 13:40:55 +00:00Commented Aug 31, 2019 at 13:40
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...from bad to worse...Xanne– Xanne2019-09-01 07:40:54 +00:00Commented Sep 1, 2019 at 7:40
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...downward spiral...Xanne– Xanne2019-09-01 07:43:02 +00:00Commented Sep 1, 2019 at 7:43
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5 Answers
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Typo in the first link.Mari-Lou A– Mari-Lou A2019-08-31 16:22:57 +00:00Commented Aug 31, 2019 at 16:22
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Causality not invoked.Edwin Ashworth– Edwin Ashworth2019-08-31 16:30:47 +00:00Commented Aug 31, 2019 at 16:30
What about double trouble?
a situation in which there is twice the number of problems that usually exist
when it rains, it pours TFD an idiom
When something good or bad happens, similarly good or bad things tend to follow.
The saying was also used by the Morton Salt Company. They used it in an ad to sell salt. They were looking for a slogan that could promote their salt that poured freely even when the weather was damp.
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Causality not invoked.Edwin Ashworth– Edwin Ashworth2019-08-31 16:30:56 +00:00Commented Aug 31, 2019 at 16:30
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true no causality, but it seems so.lbf– lbf2019-08-31 16:34:39 +00:00Commented Aug 31, 2019 at 16:34
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The original "It never rains but it pours" goes back to 1726.DJClayworth– DJClayworth2019-08-31 22:03:36 +00:00Commented Aug 31, 2019 at 22:03
Since you are specifically looking for a phrase that ends in effect, my immediate thought is that you are thinking of the butterfly effect:
[Merriam-Webster]
: a property of chaotic systems (such as the atmosphere) by which small changes in initial conditions can lead to large-scale and unpredictable variation in the future state of the system
The classic example is described at Wikipedia:
The phrase refers to the idea that a butterfly's wings might create tiny changes in the atmosphere that may ultimately alter the path of a tornado or delay, accelerate or even prevent the occurrence of a tornado in another location. The butterfly does not power or directly create the tornado, but the term is intended to imply that the flap of the butterfly's wings can cause the tornado: in the sense that the flap of the wings is a part of the initial conditions; one set of conditions leads to a tornado while the other set of conditions doesn't. The flapping wing represents a small change in the initial condition of the system, which cascades to large-scale alterations of events (compare: domino effect). Had the butterfly not flapped its wings, the trajectory of the system might have been vastly different—but it's also equally possible that the set of conditions without the butterfly flapping its wings is the set that leads to a tornado.
The term was arguably popularized by the science fiction movie The Butterfly Effect, in which the hero repeatedly went back in time to change bad things that had happened to him, only to realize that changing one bad thing had a dramatic (and negative) impact on his future (present) life, making it even worse than he could have predicted.
"It never rains but it pours"
is a British proverb meaning "when bad things happen more follow". ('But' means 'except' here.) It's origins are unknown but go back to at least 1726. The American version is "when it rains it pours".
Alternatively
When sorrows come they come not single spies but in battalions
It is from Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act 4 scene 5 and means the same thing.
