# 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:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997/21 "2011-11-15T23:53:29Z")
[An excellent read](http://www.improb.com/airchives/paperair/volume9/v9i5/murphy/murphy0.html). I liked it so much i bought the book, even though it’s free on the Internet. ---
**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 16, 2011, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997/22 "2011-11-16T03:35:06Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > [An excellent read](http://www.improb.com/airchives/paperair/volume9/v9i5/murphy/murphy0.html). > > I liked it so much i bought the book, even though it’s free on the Internet. You’re right. That was really interesting-- thanks for the link! …but what does it have to do with [Muphry’s Law](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muphry's_law)? ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997/23 "2011-11-16T03:48:56Z")
Given that wikipedia seem to have a solid 1992 cite for “Muphry’s Law”, and that Gaudere’s Law wasn’t so named until 2000, and that even in Gaudere’s post after which her Law was named she acknowledged that she was following an existing net rule, I suspect (sad as it may be) we are bound to acknowledge the primacy of Muphry’s Law. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997/24 "2011-11-16T04:02:58Z")
> [@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 fixed it in the OP for you, at least it looks right to me. If not, please feel free to PM me. ---
**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 16, 2011, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997/25 "2011-11-16T08:10:46Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > I fixed it in the OP for you, at least it looks right to me. If not, please feel free to PM me. Thanks, that makes much more sense! > [@Princhester](#): > > Given that wikipedia seem to have a solid 1992 cite for “Muphry’s Law”, and that Gaudere’s Law wasn’t so named until 2000, and that even in Gaudere’s post after which her Law was named she acknowledged that she was following an existing net rule, I suspect (sad as it may be) we are bound to acknowledge the primacy of Muphry’s Law. Aha. Well, unfortunate, but them’s the breaks. Not a very well-known law, I suppose. I’d never heard of it, and I don’t recall ever seeing it on the boards. Anyone seen this referenced anywhere else they hang out online? Some other place where grammar nazis abound? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muphrys-law-how-long-has-this-been-a-thing/602997.md?page=1)