I stand corrected! Thanks for clearing this up for me. Respectfully,
Adam Phillip Churvis Member of Team Macromedia Advanced Intensive ColdFusion MX Training ColdFusion MX Master Class: September 22 - 26, 2003 http://www.ColdFusionTraining.com Download CommerceBlocks V2.1 and LoRCAT from http://www.ProductivityEnhancement.com The ColdFusion MX Bible is in bookstores now! ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kevin Graeme" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "CF-Community" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2003 7:10 PM Subject: Rule of Thumb (was Re: Wine help) > > You know, I thought the very same thing until I saw it repeated in the > movie > > "Boondock Saints." Just blew me away that it was anything more than legal > > trivia. Apparently there are some women that are very offended by the > term, > > so out of respect I don't use it anymore. Still have to catch myself, > > though. > > As I said before, the origin of the phrase had nothing to do with wife > beating. From the OED: > > Rule of Thumb: > > 1. A method or procedure derived entirely from practice or experience, > without any basis in scientific knowledge; a roughly practical method. Also, > a particular stated rule that is based on practice or experience. > > 1692 SIR W. HOPE Fencing-Master 157 What he doth, he doth by rule of > Thumb, and not by Art. 1721 KELLY Scot. Prov. 257 No Rule so good as Rule of > Thumb, if it hit. 1785 GROSE Dict. Vulgar T., Thumb, by rule of thumb, to do > a thing by dint of practice. 1802 Sporting Mag. XX. 17 Too often did she > apportion the drugs by the rule of thumb. 1865 M. ARNOLD Ess. Crit. v. 159 > The English..have in all their changes proceeded, to use a familiar > expression, by the rule of thumb... > > Also, people who were against the disciplines of science and mathematics > were referred to as "thumbites". > > There is some moderately recent history though in which courts mistakenly > made the attribution, one in North Carolina, but it's not the actual origin > of the term. Even judges can be wrong. > > http://dynamic.uoregon.edu/~jjf/essays/ruleofthumb.html > http://www.straightdope.com/columns/000512.html > > While I agree that abuse against women should not be condoned, I personally > prefer to respect and preserve the original and intended use of the language > rather than excise a term because of an urban legend. > > -Kevin > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm?link=t:5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm?link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Get the mailserver that powers this list at http://www.coolfusion.com
