English

Noun

sob story ‎(plural sob stories)

1. (idiomatic) A sad story, especially one intended to elicit sympathy.
   • 1922, Upton Sinclair, They call Me Carpenter, ch. 14:

     "Dis picture is called De Tale o' Two Cities, and it's de French revolution. It's about a feller vot takes anodder feller's place and gits his head cut off; and say, dere's a sob story in it vot's a vunder."

   • 2006, Keith Donohue, The Stolen Child, ISBN 9781400096534, p. 56:

     Mr. Martin objected at first to the bastardization of my talent, but I gave him a sob story about needing money for lessons.

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