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Joined: Feb 2002
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OP
old hand
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833 |
I just heard today that "rule of thumb" does NOT mean what I thought it meant. I'd assumed (thereby making an "ass" of "u" and "me," heh heh heh) that it stemmed from the time of the Roman Emperors - who would extend their thumb upwards if a gladiator was to live, and downwards if he was to die, after his performance.
Now I've learned that actually, the rule of thumb was that a man (in what era, I'm afraid I don't know) was allowed to beat his wife and children, but not with a stick larger than the size of his thumb.
Nice, eh?
"Will you marry me?"
"Uh....let's see your thumb, first."
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addict
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addict
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From "The Straight Dope" : For more than 300 years "rule of thumb" has meant what most people think it means: any rough-and-ready method of estimating. It's believed to have originated with woodworkers, who made measurements with their thumbs. This article completely discounts the wife beating theory as well. See the article at: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/000512.html
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Joined: Jan 2002
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veteran
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veteran
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Thanks for the note, Bill. I never realized "rule of thumb" might be an urban legend, but have always accepted it without question. (I don't know why. I just kept hearing it in different places.)
In any case, since I got my first taste of AI years ago, I've taken to using the word heuristic, which seems a natural enough selection to me, but my non-technical co-conversationalists don't seem to follow me when I do. Then I say, "Well, it's like a rule of thumb" and then "Oh! Why didn't you say so!"
k
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Joined: Feb 2002
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OP
old hand
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833 |
Yes, thank you, Bill. I skimmed your link and found several references that might have led people to believe that "rule of thumb" means what I posted above - but the woodworking theory that Angel mentions is far more likely.
Artists also measure things in a rule-of-thumb kinda way, though not necessarily with their thumbs: they are taught to hold up their drawing implement "against" the part they are trying to draw, and then drop this "measurement" onto the page in front of them.
Perhaps that's "rule of eye"? or "rule of pencil/charcoal/conte"?!
Let us go in peace to love and serve the board.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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In her book "The History of The Bride," Maralyn Yolam confirms that the rule of thumb was the rule that a man might not beat his wife with a cane bigger around than his thumb.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Posts: 13,858 |
Dear IP: :Yeah, but. If you would take the trouble to read the URL I cited, it says that while a couple judges of no particular merit allowed that "rule" it was not widespread and not often invoked. It is an
exaggeration to say it "was law."
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Dear wwh,
Now, don't get your feathers ruffled ;)
I didn't say it was a law, I was only suggesting it might not have originated with handworkers qua handworkers.
IP
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Joined: Jan 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Dear IP: Forgive me for seeming ruffled. Far from it. The origin of the phrase is
cloudy. As you suggest, I have heard it only as suggesting a common sense
solution to a practical matter.
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Joined: Mar 2001
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,379 |
Dear wwh,
Forgive *you*? Forgive *me* for seeming upset, my gracious friend.
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