# Muphry's Law? How long has this been a thing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 15, 2011, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997 "2011-11-15T10:12:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997/1 "2011-11-15T10:12:30Z")
What’s the deal here? Do we need to [defend Gaudere](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=41684)’s honor? Or was [this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muphry's_law) coined earlier, in which case why didn’t anyone know about it at the time? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997/2 "2011-11-15T10:21:35Z")
[Here.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murphy%27s_law) ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997/3 "2011-11-15T10:24:38Z")
> [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](#): > > What’s the deal here? Do we need to [defend Gaudere](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=41684)’s honor? Or was [this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muphry's_law) coined earlier, in which case why didn’t anyone know about it at the time? Your post appears to be a prime example of the law, because it makes no sense, and I really don’t know what you’re asking. I will hazard a guess - you’re asking if Gaudere’s Law precedes Murphy’s Law? Absolutely not, Murphy’s Law has been around for decades at least. In the thread you linked, someone else mentioned it: > [@oldscratch](#): > > I actually prefer Gaudere’s Law. Like Murphy’s law. But, either one seems apropriate. I’d say Gaudere’s law is a subset of Murphy’s Law, pertaining specifically to language nitpicks. ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997/4 "2011-11-15T10:25:14Z")
Read closer. Murphy != Muphry. ETA: Crap, it was a Muphry’s post, because I didn’t include the wiki link! > **[Muphry's law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muphry's_law)** > > Muphry's law is an adage that states: "If you write anything criticizing editing or proofreading, there will be a fault of some kind in what you have written." The name is a deliberate misspelling of "Murphy's law". > Names for variations on the principle have also been coined, usually in the context of online communication, including: > Further variations state that flaws in a printed ("Clark's document law") or published work ("Barker's proof") will only be discovered after it is printed and no... ETA: Wow, and I messed up the grammar in the OP while editing. This was awesome. ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997/5 "2011-11-15T10:34:15Z")
> [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](#): > > What’s the deal here? Do we need to (URL="[Gaudere's Rule - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=41684))defend Gaudere(/URL)'s honor? Or was (URL=“[Muphry's law - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muphry's_law)”)this(/URL) coined earlier, in which case why didn’t anyone know about it at the time? Wait, the coding screwed up for some reason. I’m so confused right now. To restate, I just want to know the history of Muphry’s Law, which is not to be confused with Murphy’s Law. changed to () in my quote, so someone can help me figure out where I screwed up the coding. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997/6 "2011-11-15T10:37:59Z")
You included a leading quote mark in the URL which you didn’t end, which hid the link. I just assumed “Muphry’s law” was your typo. ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997/7 "2011-11-15T10:39:56Z")
> [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](#): > > Wait, the coding screwed up for some reason. I’m so confused right now. To restate, I just want to know the history of Muphry’s Law, which is not to be confused with Murphy’s Law. > changed to () in my quote, so someone can help me figure out where I screwed up the coding. I propose we coin some kind of name for this phenomenon. When you try to ask a question about Guadere’s Law and Muphry’s Law at the same time, the effects of each combine resulting in typos, grammatical errors, and broken URL’s. ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997/8 "2011-11-15T10:45:22Z")
> [@Crazyhorse](#): > > I propose we coin some kind of name for this phenomenon. > > When you try to ask a question about **Guadere’s** Law and Muphry’s Law at the same time, the effects of each combine resulting in typos, grammatical errors, and broken URL’s. bolding. Chalk up another Guadere typo. This thread just keeps getting better! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997/9 "2011-11-15T10:52:56Z")
> [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](#): > > bolding. Chalk up another \*\*Guadere \*\*typo. This thread just keeps getting better! 🙂 Gaudere. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997/10 "2011-11-15T10:59:40Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Gaudere. :eek: woosh? ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997/11 "2011-11-15T11:01:05Z")
There is only one solution now: Gaudere needs to change their username to Muphry, and we will just forget this conversation ever happened. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997/12 "2011-11-15T11:03:51Z")
> [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](#): > > woosh? Surely you mean “Woosh?” ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997/13 "2011-11-15T13:20:45Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Your post appears to be a prime example of the law, because it makes no sense, and I really don’t know what you’re asking. That isn’t an example of Murphy’s Law at all. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997/14 "2011-11-15T13:33:53Z")
Gaudere’s law is better, as Muphry’s law can so easily be just a typo. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997/15 "2011-11-15T15:50:53Z")
They’re both a special case of Finagle’s law, anyhow. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997/16 "2011-11-15T15:58:39Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > That isn’t an example of Murphy’s Law at all. 🙂 Yes it is. “Anything that can go wrong, will”. The intention was to ask a question in a clear manner - but the OP went wrong by screwing up the code, which meant the question made no sense. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997/17 "2011-11-15T16:59:12Z")
> [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](#): > > [Muphry's law - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muphry's_law) Gaudere used to be mentioned there. Check the history. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997/18 "2011-11-15T17:09:33Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > That isn’t an example of Murphy’s Law at all. 🙂 > [@jjimm](#): > > Yes it is. No it isn’t. It’s an example of Muphry’s Law! ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997/19 "2011-11-15T18:07:34Z")
So what is it when you misspell a criticism about another poster being a grammar Nazi? Gophrere’s Law? ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997/20 "2011-11-15T23:47:31Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Gaudere used to be mentioned there. Check the history. How do you search the history? If someone doesn’t mention it in their reason for editing, do you just have to click through each one? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997.md?page=2)