occam's razor

Principle established by the logician William of Ockham in the 14th century. Like the Principle of Parsimony, this theory states that one should not make unnecessary assumptions and that the answer to a problem is often the simplest. It is the basis of methodological reductionalism and applications of its principles are commonly used in modern strategy and economics. *also "ockham's razor"

Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem.

by sug-almighty July 8, 2005

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Hanlon's Razor

Hanlon's Razor is a saying commonly summarized as "Never assume malice when stupidity will suffice". Named for "Robert Hanlon"--probably a corruption of the author Robert Heinlein. There are many variations, but the general idea is that same. Also known in British English as the "Cock-Up Theory".

Person 1: Dude, my stimulus check was $600 less than it should be. The government is trying to screw me!
Person 2: Hanlon's Razor, man. They probably had faulty information for you.

by YoungLibertarian October 3, 2008

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razor burn

burning sensation caused from shaving any part of the body. if you haven't experienced it, simply shave off some hair, preferably a large amount of an area with thick hair growth, and with no shaving cream of any kind.

Man, I just shaved and I have mad razor burn.

This razor burn kills; I need to dunk my face in some cool water.

by SBG November 8, 2008

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