{"id":1588,"date":"2022-02-25T00:51:37","date_gmt":"2022-02-25T00:51:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=1588"},"modified":"2022-02-25T00:51:37","modified_gmt":"2022-02-25T00:51:37","slug":"rule-of-thumb-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/rule-of-thumb-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Rule of Thumb - Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Did someone tell you that you need to apply a \"rule of thumb<\/em>\" to a task? What do they mean? Are they asking you to use your thumbs? This post unpacks everything you need to know about the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n

Rule of Thumb Meaning<\/h2>\n

The \"rule of thumb<\/em>\" is an idiomatic expression referring to a set of general rules with no written formulation. It's a way of calculating an approximate distance, length, method, task, or protocol based on your practical experience with the job, rather than relying on theory.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule of Thumb Example Usage<\/h2>\n

\"As a general rule of thumb<\/em>, we always calculate the client's expenses before looking into their income for the month. That way, we can get a better understanding of where they need to cut back in their monthly expenditure.\"<\/p>\n

\"I don't know how to line it up properly, but a general rule of thumb<\/em> is to raise it to eye-level before driving hoe the fastener.\"<\/p>\n

\"We don't always do things that way, it's just a general rule of thumb<\/em>, and you can set it up any way you want.\"<\/p>\n

\"Everyone knows that the general rule of thumb<\/em> is to avoid the first three calls of the day; they are always salespeople looking to offer you a product or service.<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

Rule of Thumb Origin<\/h2>\n

The origin of the saying \"rule of thumb<\/em>\" is unclear. Some language experts think the phrase comes from English common law, describing the width of a stick (thumb-width<\/em>) suitable for a man to beat his wife. However, the reality is that this law never existed, and it's not the origin of the saying.<\/p>\n

While the \"rule of thumb<\/em>\" pertaining to wife-beating was not part of English common law, it was a rumored statement from the 18th-century judge Sir Francis Buller<\/em>. Buller supposedly claimed that a man could beat his wife, provided he used a stick no wider than his thumb.<\/p>\n

While there are plenty of references to this statement, there is no evidence suggesting that Buller ever said the phrase.<\/p>\n

The earliest appearance of the phrase in English literature appears in 1685, in a collection of sermons by Scottish preacher James Durham,<\/em> published after his passing.<\/p>\n

The text reads as follows.<\/p>\n

\"Many profest Christians are like to foolish builders, who build by guess, and by rule of thumb<\/em> (as we use to speak), and not by Square and Rule.\"<\/p>\n

We can also find the phrase in the works of Sir William Hope, namely in \"The Compleat Fencing Master<\/em>,\" published in 1692, with the following.<\/p>\n

\"What he doth, he doth by rule of thumb<\/em>, and not by Art.\"<\/p>\n

The Complete Collection of Scottish Proverbs by James Kelly, published in 1721, has the following text.<\/p>\n

\"No Rule so good as rule of thumb<\/em>, if it hit.\"<\/p>\n