[Ads-l] "Finagle's Law" Not in OED or Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction

[Jeff Prucher]

 I've spent some time trawling through issues of Astounding SF in the Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/astoundingstories), and there was some discussion of various Finagle concepts in Brass Tacks, the letter column, in the '40s and '50s.
The first reference to "Finagle's Law" or "Laws" (here spelled "Finnagle") that I can find is from Nov., 1957, in a section signed "The Editor" (which I think we would be safe in crediting to John W. Campbell).
[please verify citations for typos!]
Author: "The Editor" (John W. Campbell)Periodical: Astounding Science FictionDate: Nov. 1957page: 150, col. 1Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/Astounding_v60n03_1957-11_Gorgon776/page/n150/mode/1up
[begin excerpt]I have received several requests for the full set of Finnagle’s Laws; to date I have been unable to find any comprehensive collection of these famous Unwritten Laws of Science, however. The Finnagle Factor, or Finnagle’s Variable Constant is, of course, well known, and some of Finnagle’s Laws, such as "In any laboratory experiment, if something can go wrong . . . it will,’’ are very widely known. I believe, however, that there are a number of lesser known laws enunciated — but not very clearly — by this understanding scientist, and I feel it would be a real service to Science if our readers would aid me in collecting the entire set of Finnagle’s Unwritten Laws of Science. 
[end excerpt]
A couple issues later, a reader (J. R. McC.) responded with the set of laws reprinted in Product Engineering, April 21, 1958, as cited by Garson:
Author: J. R. McC.Periodical: Astounding Science FictionDate: Feb. 1957Page: 151, col. 1LetterInternet Archive:  https://archive.org/details/Astounding_v60n06_1958-02_ATLPM/page/n150/mode/1up
[begin excerpt]May I suggest several of "Finagle’s Laws” ? These are to follow the noble First, which has been given us as:
1. If anything can go wrong in an experiment, it will.2. No matter what result is anticipated, there is always someone willing to fake it.3. No matter what the result, there is always someone eager to misinterpret it.4. No matter what occurs, there is always someone willing to <i>believe it</ i> happened according to his pet theory.[end excerpt]
The first reference to a fictional "Finagle"I could find is "Finagle's Constant" in April 1948; the author claims it is "long known to college students."
Author: Joe SchaumburgerAstounding Science FictionDate: April, 1948LetterPage: 109 col. 2Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/AstoundingScienceFictionv41n2/page/n108/mode/1up
[begin excerpt]I'm referring to the "mathematical bugger factor", long known to college students under the name of "Finagle's Constant".
[end excerpt]
The letter writer goes on to provide an equation for the constant and his revelation that the constant is a variable.

Jeff Prucher



    On Friday, February 14, 2025 at 12:02:23 PM PST, ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:  
 
 The April 1958 article is called "Finagle's Laws", and it lists a
variety of laws. Here are the four numbered laws; plus a creed and a
motto.

Date: April 21, 1958
Periodical: Product Engineering
Article title: FINAGLE'S LAWS . . . or why nothing in Research and
Development happens the way it should
Quote Page 31 and 32
Publisher McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, New York
Database: Internet Archive

https://archive.org/details/sim_product-engineering_1958-04-21_29_16/page/32/mode/2up?q=Finagle

[Begin excerpt - double-check for typos]
ON EXPERIMENTS
The first four laws are the only one dignified by number. Note the
beauty and simplicity of the First Law. Also note that the remaining
three laws refer to men's reactions to Nature - not to Nature itself.

First Law: If anything can go wrong with an experiment, it will

Second Law: No matter what result is anticipated, there is always
someone willing to fake it

Third Law: No matter what the result, there is always someone eager to
misinterpret it.

Fourth Law: No matter what occurs, there is always someone who
believes it happened according to his pet theory.
[End excerpt]

[Begin excerpt - double-check for typos]
Finagle's Creed: Science is Truth -  don't be misled by facts.
Finagle's Motto: Smile – tomorrow it will be worse.
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Fri, Feb 14, 2025 at 1:33 PM ADSGarson O'Toole
<adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Interesting topic, Fred. Harold Faber's reference book "The Book of
> Laws" lists two different versions of Finagle's Law together with
> citations. I have not double-checked the citations.
>
> [ref] 1979, The Book of Laws, Compiled by Harold Faber, Chapter 9: The
> Laws of Science and Technology, Quote Page 95, Times Books, New York.
> (Verified with hardcopy) [/ref]
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> FINAGLE'S LAW (1)
> Once a job has been fouled up, anything done to improve it makes it worse.
> (Quoted by Brooks Atkinson, in The New York Times, February 1, 1961.)
>
> FINAGLE'S LAW (2)
> If anything can go wrong with an experiment, it will.
> (Quoted by Gunter Cohn, in Plating magazine, requoting from Product
> Engineering, April 21, 1958.)
> [End excerpt]
>
> Garson
>
> On Fri, Feb 14, 2025 at 1:18 PM Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu> wrote:
> >
> > I don't see "Finagle's Law" in either OED or the Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction.  This is often said to have been coined by legendary science fiction editor John W. Campbell.  I don't know of any specific citation to Campbell.  The earliest I find in a few minutes of searching is 1958 (Nuclear Engineering, Dec. 1958, from Internet Archive).
> >
> > Fred Shapiro
> >
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
  

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org