Skippy Rules

A rule or regulation is mentioned, and somebody pipes up that it's also known as "The (insert name) rule". For instance, let's say the scene is at a bar:

"Sorry, we don't let people prepare their own drinks. We had a couple of mishaps in the past with that, so management told us to stop it. We like to think of it as 'The Jack Jenkins Rule'".

Occasionally, when mentioning it, the speaker will look at the character in question glaringly (if he or she is nearby). The trope name comes from Skippy's List. Nothing to do with Skippy peanut butter or Skippy the Bush Kangaroo.

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Examples of Skippy Rules include:

Live-Action Television

• On "Home Improvement" a rule limiting the amount of Christmas lights and electricity used in the neighborhood decorating contest was known as the "Tim Taylor Rule".

Literature

• In Animorphs, the Andalite version of the Prime Directive is called the Law of Seerow's Kindness, after the Andalite who gave technology to the race that went on to use it to become the Big Bads of the series.

Web Original

• Skippy's List, as noted above, is the Trope Namer.
• Things Mr. Welch Is No Longer Allowed to Do In An RPG -- about an RPG player who humorously abuses loopholes.

Western Animation

• The supervillain guild on The Venture Brothers has a number of hostage-related regulations named after Doctor Venture, since he was constantly getting kidnapped as a boy hero.
• On Futurama, DOOP's version of the Alien Non-Interference Clause is called Brannigan's Law, after Captain Zapp Brannigan.
  • Although, it's not clear if that's it's official name, or if raging egomaniac Zapp Brannigan just likes to call it that...
• When Marge Simpson got sugar banned in Springfield on The Simpsons that law was dubbed the "lex Marge".

Real Life

• A Real Life example from the world of sports: The National Football League has numerous rules commonly (if unofficially) named after individual players. The "Emmitt Smith Rule", to give one example, prohibits a player from removing his helmet on the field while the game clock is running. Its name derives from the former Dallas Cowboys running back's predilection for throwing off his helmet after scoring touchdowns.
• The Directors Guild of America reserves the right to slap a producer with a huge fine if he fires a DGA-affiliated director and replaces him with a current member of the cast or crew. They call this the "Eastwood Rule," after Clint Eastwood's behavior while making The Outlaw Josey Wales.

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