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in principle

In general, but perhaps not in all the details.SYN in theory.
In principle, young people want a better life.
by Zeze star June 6, 2017
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Szabo Principle

The Szabo Principle is the simple rule that when sitting an scholastic examination, the person sitting directly adjacent to you is likely to have the current answer incorrect 60% of the time.
Me: *Looks over to try and find answers from the person next to me during an exam*

Friend: “Don’t do that! The Szabo principle states that the answer you’re looking at is 60% likely to be wrong!
by Montoronator December 16, 2020
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sexclusion principle

When determining where to place electrons in atoms, three rules are generally used: the Pauli exclusion principle, the Aufbau principle, and Hund's rule. The Pauli exclusion principle, from which the pun is derived, states that no two electrons (or indeed any fermion) can occupy the same atomic state. Therefore, any electron orbital is limited to two electrons: one with a spin, and the other with a − spin. The Aufbau principle states that lower energy orbitals are occupied previous to high energy orbitals. Hund's rule states that electrons will try to fill orbitals individually, and only pair up when every orbital has a lone electron in it.

In the comic, electrons are being equated to people, and rooms (or couches) are equated to orbitals. The reverse of Hund's rule is then followed: people will try to pair up in a room first, and only when all the couples have done so will rooms be allocated to single people. The Pauli exclusion principle here means that only two people can occupy a room at a time (should those people be romantically involved). The Aufbau principle therefore means that more restful rooms are filled previous to less restful rooms.

The title text jokes about drunken party-goers, who ignore the Pauli principle perhaps out of inebriation. They then end up partying and sleeping together with many people in the living room, leaving the roommate stuck in the third desirable location, the hall lounge.
See xkcd.com/658/ for visual diagram of Pauli's Sexclusion Principle
by Bad C dev September 20, 2021
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Donkey Principle

The well-established, but long forgotten, rule of law that you will honour your obligations and treat your counterparty to a deal with the level of deference and respect due to them as though they had a compromising photograph of you with a donkey.
Tim: Hey Vinnie, how'd you go getting out of that crap million dollar deal you'd struck with KK?

Vinnie: No good mate, I forgot about the Donkey Principle and I had to suck it up and pay him his loot.
by Old Word Boss April 26, 2022
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The Ledger Principle

Anyone that dies young will automatically be seen as more talented than they actually were.
My band is going nowhere. If we want to get famous I should kill myself and let the Ledger Principle do its thing.
by Oprah Arms January 22, 2009
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The Garfield principle

Named after Andrew Garfield.
When a actor appears in a film/tvshow etc. making you aware of their existence, only to find out they have been in a large portion of your favourite movies or tv shows before and that you never having remembered them before now have no choice but to notice them.
Andrew Garfield appeared in The Social Network.
He also appeared in Sugar Rush, Doctor Who, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. Therefore 'The Garfield principle' was born.
by McDanno September 24, 2011
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Thot’s Principle

A universal constant that states: “Hoes will forever be mad”
Guy 1: “dude that hoe over there is looking mad”
Guy 2: “they always are, she falls under Thot’s Principle!”
by LeroyNoobykins August 29, 2019
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