Fumblerules

A fumblerule is a rule of language or linguistic style, humorously written in such a way that it breaks this rule. Fumblerules are a form of self-reference.
The science editor George L. Trigg published a list of such rules in 1979. The term "fumblerules" was coined in a list of such rules compiled by William Safire on Sunday, 4 November 1979, in his column "On Language" in the "New York Times". Safire later authored a book titled "Fumblerules: A Lighthearted Guide to Grammar and Good Usage", which was reprinted in 2005 as "".