もっけの幸さいわい

も

っ

け

の

さ

い

わ

い

Meanings

1

expression

windfall; unexpected good luck

Refers to a sudden, unearned piece of good fortune. Often used in the set phrase もっけの幸いだ or もっけの幸いと思う.

バスに乗のり遅おくれたが、もっけの幸さいわい、次つぎのバスは空すいていた。
I missed the bus, but as a stroke of luck, the next one was empty.
もっけの

幸さいわ

い

と

ばかり

に

、

落お

ち

て

い

た

お

金かね

を

拾ひろ

っ

た

。

Thinking it was a windfall, I picked up the money that had been dropped.

Written forms

もっけの幸さいわい
Most common spelling; もっけ is usually written in kana.
物もっ怪けの幸さいわい
Ateji spelling using kanji for meaning; rarely used.
勿もっ怪けの幸さいわい
Alternate ateji spelling; rarely used.

Kanji

幸happiness, blessing, fortune
物thing, object, matter
怪suspicious, mystery, apparition
勿not, must not, do not

Similar words

棚たなからぼたもち
Both mean unexpected good luck, but 棚からぼたもち is a more vivid, colloquial proverb, while もっけの幸い is a set phrase with a slightly more formal or literary feel.
ラッキー
ラッキー is a casual loanword for 'lucky', used in everyday speech. もっけの幸い is a native Japanese phrase that emphasizes the unexpected, unearned nature of the luck.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. もっけ may derive from 勿怪 (mokke), meaning 'unexpected' or 'strange', combined with 幸い (saiwai, 'good fortune'). The kanji spellings 物怪 and 勿怪 are ateji.