Sayings & Anecdotes
Betteridge's Law of Headlines
Adage named after British technology journalist Ian Betteridge that states "Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word 'no.'" The concept points out the tendency of media to use sensational or misleading headlines to attract readers.
Boiled Frog
An anecdote describing a frog in a pot of water where the water's temperature is gradually raised to the point of killing the frog without their noticing, but if the frog is placed instantly in hot water, it would jump out immediately.
Cobra Effect
An attempted solution to a problem actually makes the problem worse.
Gate's Law
The adage from Bill Gates that, "Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years."
Hanlon's Razor
The aphorism which reminds us to never attribute to malice something that can simply be explained by incompetence.
Hofstadter's Law
The axiom that "it always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law."
Joy's Law
An aphorism that "no matter who you are, most of the smartest people work for someone else."
Matthew Effect
Matthew Principle
The old adage "for to him who has, will more be given..." — that those with existing status, privilege, wealth, etc. stand to benefit even more from it, compared to those without starting resources. In other words,"the rich get richer and the poor get poorer."
Murphy's Law
The adage that, "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong."
Shaggy Dog Story
Shaggy Dog Yarn
A long-winded anecdote characterized by extensive narration, of typically irrelevant incidents, and terminated by an anticlimax or a pointless punchline.
Stock–Sanford Corollary
"If you wait until the last minute, it only takes a minute to do."
Sturgeon's Law
Sturgeon's Revelation
An adage commonly cited as "ninety percent of everything is crap".
Swan Song
A metaphorical phrase for a final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or retirement.
Third Rail
A metaphor for an issue that is controversial to the point of being "untouchable" that to broach the subject will cause damage. The metaphor comes from the high-voltage third rail in some electric railway systems.
Yak Shaving
The process of performing a series of tasks (often nested inside completing other tasks, like side quests) to accomplish a goal, each of which seems necessary in context but becomes less and less linked to the original goal.