Ahh Racial stereotypes from the 1970s. I hope the moderator will remove this. I consider it an offensive slur.
In fact Murphy’s Law is in general use, it dates back to the 1950’s, apparently from an Edward Murphy in the USA, it is even the title and subject of a book. To the best of my knowledge Mrs Murphy’s Law dates from the same period, though I was told it, with that very intonation, in the 1960’s by an Irish policeman in the Irish Club in Washwood Heath, which I was a member of until I moved away from the area. I find the accusation of racial stereotyping quite bewildering, nor do I perceive a slur, but if anybodies sensibilities have been wounded I can only say that this was far from my intention.
Brian
On reflection I have removed the remark that John and Richard objected to.
I must add that the idea of racial stereotyping is anathema to me. I had no intention of reviving the old stereotype of the “thick Irishman” and in fact the very opposite was intended: Murphy’s Law states that “what can go wrong, will go wrong” while this version of Mrs Murphy’s Law states that Murphy was an optimist - implying that what CAN’T go wrong, will go wrong. Far from being the words of a “thick” Irishwoman this is actually an acute observation on the tendency of people to overestimate the robustness of their precautions, which is why I quoted it in that post.
