Murphy's Law


noun

the facetious proposition that if something can go wrong, it will.
Also called Murphy's First Law.

Origin of Murphy's Law

Americanism; after a fictitious Murphy, allegedly the name of a bungling mechanic in U.S. Navy educational cartoons of the 1950s

British Dictionary definitions for murphy's law

Murphy's law

noun

informal another term for Sod's law

Word Origin for Murphy's law

C20: of uncertain origin

Cultural definitions for murphy's law

Murphy's Law

A rule that states, “If something can go wrong, it will.” An addition to this law reads, “and usually at the worst time.” The identity of “Murphy” is unknown, but the saying was first used during the 1940s and may have originated with members of the armed forces in World War II.

Idioms and Phrases with murphy's law

Murphy's law

If anything can go wrong, it will, as in We may think we've covered all the details for the benefit, but remember Murphy's law. The identity of Murphy, if ever a real person, is unknown. Some think it alludes to (but was not invented by) a feckless Irishman named Murphy. [c. 1940]