I've read many times that this phrase is from an old English law regarding the size limit of the wood used when a man would beat his wife.( "No bigger around than a man's thumb.") I have no idea of the truth of this, nor do I have any idea if there ever was such a law. Perhaps those in the UK could help out here.
Posts: 17656 | Location: Lincoln Place, Granite City, IL, USA | Registered: 06-03-02
The phrase "rule of thumb" is notable today, not for its real origin, but for a modern myth of its origin. Supposedly, under English common law in the 17th century, the original "rule of thumb" allowed a man to beat his wife with a switch on the condition that the switch be no thicker than his thumb. But a more plausible explanation probably came from the use of the thumb as a convenient measuring tool, the distance to the first knuckle usually being about one inch.
Posts: 9192 | Location: Atlanta, GA, USA | Registered: 06-03-02
HONEYMOON The word first appears in the 16th century. The honey is a reference to the sweetness of a new marriage. And the moon is not a reference to the lunar-based month, but rather a bitter acknowledgement that this sweetness, like a full moon, would quickly fade
Posts: 1190 | Location: Spenard, Alaska, home of the Spamtones | Registered: 06-03-02
The term "rule of thumb" was old, I'm sure, by the time this instance was used, but just another example: When an EMS team arrives at the scene of an accident involving hazardous materials, they must park upwind, using a "rule of thumb": The EMT must be able to cover the scene of the accident with his thumb to know he is a safe distance away.
Posts: 6323 | Location: LA (Lower Alabama) USA | Registered: 06-03-02
