List of adages named after people
This is a list of adages named after people (eponymous adages). For other lists of eponyms, see eponym.
The list
- Amara's law - We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run. Proposed by Roy Amara.
- Brooks' law - Adding manpower to a late software project makes it later. Named after Fred Brooks - author of the well known tome on project management, The Mythical Man-Month.
- Clarke's three laws. Formulated by Arthur C. Clarke.
- 1st law: When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
- 2nd law: The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little ways past them into the impossible.
- 3rd law: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
- Dilbert Principle - The most ineffective workers are systematically moved to the place where they can do the least damage: management. Coined by Scott Adams, author of the comic strip Dilbert.
- Finagle's law - Anything that can go wrong, will. A generalized version of Murphy's law. Finagle is not a real individual.
- Godwin's law - As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one. Coined by Mike Godwin in 1990.
- Gresham's law - Bad money drives good money out of circulation. Coined in 1858 by British economist Henry Dunning Macleod, and named for Sir Thomas Gresham (1519 - 1579).
- Hanlon's razor - A corollary of Finagle's law, normally taking the form Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity. Not named after a real person.
- Hofstadter's law - It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law. A recursive law from Douglas Hofstadter's 1979 book Gödel, Escher, Bach.
- Holmes' Law - After eliminating the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, is the truth. From Sherlock Holmes.
- Keynes's law - Demand creates its own supply. Attributed to economist John Maynard Keynes, and contrasted to Say's law.
- Linus's law - Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow. Named for Linus Torvalds, initiator of the kernel of the GNU/Linux operating system.
- Littlewood's law - Individuals can expect miracles to happen to them at the rate of about one per month. Coined by Professor John Edensor Littlewood.
- Murphy's law - If anything can go wrong, it will or If it can happen, it will happen. Ascribed to Edward A. Murphy, Jr.
- Occam's razor - Explanations should never multiply causes without necessity. When two explanations are offered for a phenomenon, the simplest full explanation is preferable. Named after William of Ockham.
- Okrent's law - The pursuit of balance can create imbalance because sometimes something is true.
- Parkinson's law - Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion. Coined by C. Northcote Parkinson.
- Pareto principle - For many phenomena, 80% of consequences stem from 20% of the causes. Named after Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, but framed by management thinker Joseph M. Juran.
- Peter principle - In a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence. Coined by Laurence J. Peter.
- Ralph's observation - It is a mistake to allow any mechanical object to realize that you are in a hurry.
- Say's law - Supply creates its own demand. Attributed to economist Jean-Baptiste Say and contrasted to Keynes's Law
- Shukla's law - Ninety-eight percent of the people in the world are idiots. Coined by Hemant Shukla.
- Sturgeon's law - Ninety percent of everything is crud. Derived from a quote by science fiction author Theodore Sturgeon.
- Ugol's law - If you ever ask, "am I the only one who has this kink?", the answer is invariably, "no".