# Do you have a "law" (like Murphy's Law)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 19, 2013, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-law-like-murphys-law/669210 "2013-09-19T04:56:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-law-like-murphys-law/669210/61 "2013-09-20T11:15:13Z")
I’m surprised nobody’s mentioned the one where, if anyone comes into a thread saying “I can’t believe nobody’s mentioned XXXX”, it is likely that at least one person, if not multiple people, have mentioned XXXX. I even came across it today in the live albums thread in Cafe Society, with someone mentioning not seeing U2’s _Under a Blood Red Sky_ mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![willthekittensurvive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@willthekittensurvive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/willthekittensurvive)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-law-like-murphys-law/669210/62 "2013-09-20T11:38:41Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > I’m surprised nobody’s mentioned the one where, if anyone comes into a thread saying “I can’t believe nobody’s mentioned XXXX”, it is likely that at least one person, if not multiple people, have mentioned XXXX. I even came across it today in the live albums thread in Cafe Society, with someone mentioning not seeing U2’s _Under a Blood Red Sky_ mentioned. see post 26… just kidding ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-law-like-murphys-law/669210/63 "2013-09-20T11:51:27Z")
Any TV commercial that includes a phone number is a piece of crap at best, or a scam at worst. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-law-like-murphys-law/669210/64 "2013-09-20T12:31:50Z")
> [@willthekittensurvive](#): > > see post 26… > > just kidding Ha! You got me! ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-law-like-murphys-law/669210/65 "2013-09-20T13:32:46Z")
Picked up from another book of rules: - the amount of effort it takes to get into trouble is only a fraction of the amount of effort it takes to get _out_ of trouble. The Butter Side Down Rule (a version of Murphy’s) - If you drop a piece of buttered toast, it will land butter side down every time. Mode’s Law of Luck - Fortune favors the prepared AKA the harder I work, the luckier I get. As it hasn’t been spelled out, Gaudere’s Law: - For any post criticizing a previous post’s grammar, spelling, or usage, the writer is guaranteed to make a similar or greater error in the same manner. I can’t remember which user this one is named after, but it refers to questions on Orthodox Judaism: - all questions regarding Orthodox Judaism will be posted after sunset Friday. My version of “slow is smooth, smooth is fast” is “make haste slowly”. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-law-like-murphys-law/669210/66 "2013-09-20T13:44:24Z")
I forgot one … The amount of people watching you is directly proportional to the stupidity of your actions. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-law-like-murphys-law/669210/67 "2013-09-20T14:30:21Z")
After observing that Newton’s Laws, Kepler’s Laws, The Laws of Thermodynamics, and others tend to be bunched in threes, I came up with CalMeacham’s Third Law: “Laws tend to come grouped in threes.” I’m still working on the first two laws. It’s a kind of “Hi, Opal” thing, although I came up with this long before this Board was around. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-law-like-murphys-law/669210/68 "2013-09-20T14:39:35Z")
> [@Karen\_Lingel](#): > > Karen’s Law: Anyone who thinks their money is more valuable than their life is probably right. I like this one. A lot. **Foxtrot’s Law** : No matter when you go to a fast-food drive-thru, chances are pretty high that the car in front of you is ordering a huge meal for several people. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-law-like-murphys-law/669210/69 "2013-09-20T15:40:57Z")
My dad’s: Quality of movie x Number of ads = Constant. Rocketeer’s First Law of Auto Troubleshooting: It’s always electrical. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-law-like-murphys-law/669210/70 "2013-09-20T20:09:23Z")
It’s amazing what you can get away with if you look like you should be doing it. It’s amazing what you can do if you don’t think about doing it. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-law-like-murphys-law/669210/71 "2013-09-20T20:23:35Z")
I have developed two laws in my lifetime, although they’re not exactly Murphy’s Law type. The West Law of Consistent Mediocrity: If you want to make a billion dollars, make a product that is consistently mediocre. I developed this law when I was eating dinner at a Pizza Hut, but it also applies to Bud Light and many other products. The West Law of Nocturnal Immensity: When camping in a tent, any animal heard near the tent will sound at least 2x larger than it actually is. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-law-like-murphys-law/669210/72 "2013-09-20T20:25:38Z")
Dendarii Dame’s Rule: (Specific to me) I prefer fiction to non-fiction. However, if an author writes both fiction and non-fiction, I will prefer their non-fiction. Applies to fantasy and SF authors in particular: Le Guin, Bradbury, Asimov… ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-law-like-murphys-law/669210/73 "2013-09-20T21:36:46Z")
Certainly, and I recently mentioned it in a thread: Throughout history, everyone was a bastard. Obviously not each person — most maybe — but nations, tribes, states, organizations, rulers and peoples. Perhaps they had to be, and it is no reason not to follow or admire them; but all did bad things to those they felt needed it. ---
**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:** [September 20, 2013, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-law-like-murphys-law/669210/74 "2013-09-20T22:46:31Z")
If you know what you’re doing, it’s not an adventure. ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2013, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-law-like-murphys-law/669210/75 "2013-09-21T00:04:41Z")
CivilGuy’s Law: If I knew yesterday what I know today, I still wouldn’t be as wise as I’ll probably be tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2013, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-law-like-murphys-law/669210/76 "2013-09-21T00:16:24Z")
When it rains, it pours. ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2013, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-law-like-murphys-law/669210/77 "2013-09-21T01:29:27Z")
The more laudatory the adjectives in the company’s name, the higher the odds they’re run by right bastards. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2013, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-law-like-murphys-law/669210/78 "2013-09-21T01:48:12Z")
This is not the only “law” our family has, but it’s probably in the top three. “Never say ‘it’ll only take a few minutes’”. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2013, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-law-like-murphys-law/669210/79 "2013-09-21T02:04:00Z")
Everything can be fixed in software. Miracle-working is interchangeable. If you can fix someone’s computer problem over the phone with one sentence of description, you can fix their broken car in the same manner. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2013, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-law-like-murphys-law/669210/80 "2013-09-21T03:25:55Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > This one is true. During my 15 years without a driver’s license, walking and bicycling everywhere, I maintained my weight between 165 and 175 pounds. After I got my driver’s license back and started driving again, my weight shot up to 215 within 6 months. Yep. just spent 3 weeks in Germany with my Wife. We ate and drank anything we wanted. Walked everywhere it seems. It was a ‘wurst’ vacation, beer and sausages and cheese and bread. On our feet 10 hours a day. Lost a couple of pounds. I know this is not original, but the one saying I like, that is sort of like a ‘Murphy’s’ law is - “Experiance is what you get when you don’t get what you want” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-law-like-murphys-law/669210.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-law-like-murphys-law/669210.md?page=5)