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Topic: Rule of thumb

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	Rule of Thumb
		Rule of Thumb and the Folklaw of the Husband's Stick.
		Kelly's overall position is that the "rule of thumb" is not a principal enshrined in the law, and that this idea that it is enshrined in law derives from a 1977 book by Davidson who claims that a "rule of thumb" is a traditional justification for wife-beating.
		Kelly notes that the exact phrase "rule of thumb" itself never occurs in legal history, and that the idea of the thumb as a standard appears in "only" a handful of cases.
	dynamic.uoregon.edu /~jjf/essays/ruleofthumb.html (1060 words)

	The "Rule of Thumb for Wife-Beating" Hoax (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-04)
		Feminists often make that claim that the "rule of thumb" used to mean that it was legal to beat your wife with a rod, so long as that rod were no thicker than the husband's thumb.
		"rule of thumb" and wifebeating is a feminist-inspired myth of recent vintage.
		The so-called rule of thumb as a guideline for wife-beating does not occur in Blackstone's compendium, although he does refer to an ancient law that permitted "domestic chastisement"....
	www.debunker.com /texts/ruleofthumb.html (1169 words)

	Loudness
		A general "rule of thumb" for loudness is that the power must be increased by about a factor of ten to sound twice as loud.
		A widely used "rule of thumb" for the loudness of a particular sound is that the sound must be increased in intensity by a factor of ten for the sound to be perceived as twice as loud.
		Although this rule is widely used, it must be emphasized that it is an approximate general statement based upon a great deal of investigation of average human hearing but it is not to be taken as a hard and fast rule.
	hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu /hbase/sound/loud.html (894 words)

	Rule of thumb - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
		However, it is questionable whether Buller ever made such a pronouncement and there is even less evidence that he phrased it as a "rule of thumb"; the rumored statement was so unpopular that it caused him to be lambasted as "Judge Thumb" in a satirical James Gillray cartoon.
		Tailors' Rule of Thumb A simple approximation that was used by tailors to determine the wrist, neck, and waist circumferences of a person through one single measurement of the circumference of that person's thumb.
		The rule states, typically, that twice the circumference of a person's thumb is the circumference of their wrist, twice the circumference of the wrist is the circumference of the neck, and twice around the neck is the person's waist.
	en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Rule_of_thumb (825 words)

	Rule of Thumb (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-04)
		Other references to the rule of thumb include: Until the 19th Century, there was a charming little rule of thumb that applied to family life.
		In English common law, a man was considered to have a right to "physically chastise an errant wife." What passed for restraint was the notorious "rule of thumb" which stated that the stick he beat her with could not exceed the width of the thumb.
		Patricia Ireland said she learned the rule of thumb which, under English common law, allowed a man to beat his wife as long as he used a stick no thicker than his thumb.
	www.fathers.ca /rule_of_thumb.htm (2378 words)

	Rule of thumb
		In class, I mentioned that the phrase “rule of thumb” reflects a measurement procedure used by tailors (and others) hundreds of years ago, in the absence of modern measuring devices.
		The rule (as in “ruler”) measures one inch as the distance from the tailor’s knuckle to the tip of their thumb.
		This is part of an old English system of measurements based on the body that included the yard (which is the distance from the nose to the tip of the index finger) and the foot.
	instruct.uwo.ca /psychology/180/thumb.htm (696 words)

	Chowder, Gig, Pipsqueak, Mayhem, Nonplussed and The Real Rule of Thumb
		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.
		"Rule of thumb" probably came from the use of the thumb as a convenient measuring tool, the distance to the first knuckle usually being about one inch.
	www.word-detective.com /back-n.html (1650 words)

	The Straight Dope: Does "rule of thumb" refer to an old law permitting wife beating? (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-04)
		Recently in a conversation I used the expression "rule of thumb," which I have always understood to mean a technique for arriving at a quick estimate.
		The two rulings were mentioned in an article by sociologist Robert Calvert that was published in a 1974 anthology Violence in the Family (Steinmetz and Straus, editors).
		Martin clearly was using "rule of thumb" as figure of speech--she didn't claim it actually referred to legalized wife beating.
	www.straightdope.com /columns/000512.html (896 words)

	"rule of thumb" (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-04)
		Several legal rulings and books in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries mention the practice as something some people believe is true.
		The precise origin of 'rule of thumb' is not certain, but it seems likely to refer to the thumb as a rough measuring device ('rule' meaning 'ruler' rather than 'regulation'), which is a common practice.
		The linkage of the phrase to the wife-beating rule appears to be based on a misinterpretation of a 1976 National Organization of Women report, which mentioned the phrase and the practice but did not imply a connection.
	www.yaelf.com /aueFAQ/mifrulethumb.shtml (294 words)

	Questions & Answers: Rule of thumb
		Some have tried to link it with brewing; in the days before thermometers, brewers were said to have gauged the temperature of the fermenting liquor with the thumb (just as mothers for generations have tested the temperature of the baby’s bath water with their elbows).
		This seems unlikely, as the thumb is not that sensitive and the range of temperatures for fermentation between too cool and too warm is quite small.
		So the phrase rule of thumb uses the word rule in the sense of ruler, not regulation, and directly refers to this method of measurement.
	www.worldwidewords.org /qa/qa-rul1.htm (689 words)

	Rules-of-Thumb for Oil Supply Disruptions (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-04)
		The rules of thumb provide a measure of uncertainty surrounding estimates for average prices and do not attempt to quantify the levels of likely price spikes that could occur during disruptions.
		The rules of thumb have been quantified based on a constant elasticity of demand formulation, which requires a larger and larger increase in price along its schedule for equal decrements in market quantity demanded.
		With oil prices around $40 per barrel, the rule of thumb is a price increase of $4-$6 per barrel per million barrels per day of net supply disruption.
	www.eia.doe.gov /emeu/security/rule.html (694 words)

	IdiomSite.com (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-04)
		A rule of thumb is a basic rule that is usually but not always correct
		Another possibilty is a term dating back to medieval times when the diameter of your thumb was the largest diameter of stick that was allowable for disciplining one's wife i.e.
		I would be interested to know if that is indeed the true meaning, as I once had an argument with a "feminist" in which the term was used by her.
	www.idiomsite.com /ruleofthethumb.htm (233 words)

	Rule of thumb
		A means of estimation made according to a rough and ready practical rule, not based on science or exact measurement.
		He was notoriously harsh in his punishments but there's no clear evidence that he ever made the ruling that he is infamous for.
		It's certainly the case that, although British common law once held that it was legal for a man to chastise his wife in moderation (whatever that meant), the 'rule of thumb' has never been the law in England.
	www.phrases.org.uk /meanings/307000.html (221 words)

	ifeminists.com > editorial > "Rule of Thumb" Is the Hate Crime
		The "rule of thumb" joins urban legends such as dog meat in Chinese food and razor blades in Halloween candy, the latter two also having never happened.
		We only know about Buller's ruling because the records from that time are of the public vilification of him for it.
		Men were held to account for anything any member of their family did, so there are references to "reasonable restraint," all heavily qualified and strictly confined to cases where a family member could be a danger, not just to the husband/father, but the family.
	www.ifeminists.net /introduction/editorials/2004/0519wilson.html (570 words)

	Discussion Thread: Rule of Thumb
		Their discussion began when a female student complained that the term "rule of thumb" should not be used in conversation because it demeaned women.
		As to the origin of 'rule of thumb', I do not know the origin of the term for ce your student has said it to be, -- but I can tell you your student is not alone the origin of the term.
		Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable says 'rule of thumb' is 'A rough, guessw practice or experience, as distinguished from theory; in allusion to the use of rough measurements'.
	www.h-net.org /~law/threads/rulthumb.html (2334 words)

	How to post about Nazis and get away with it - the Godwin's Law FAQ
		Invoking Rule #4 deliberately in hopes of ending a thread, however, is doomed to failure (Quirk's Exception)...
		Rule #2 (John Gilmore): "The Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it." Rule #108 (from the soc.motss FAQ): "What will happen to me if I read soc.motss?" "In general, nothing.
		The originator of this rule, Earl Cooley III (shiva@io.com), is one of those people.
	www.faqs.org /faqs/usenet/legends/godwin (1926 words)

	Rules of thumb and why they do not work when it comes to appraising a business. A good valuation takes into ... (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-04)
		Rules of thumb and why they do not work when it comes to appraising a business.
		But a rule of thumb never picks up on that.
		That is why owners should never base the value of their businesses on a rule of thumb.
	www.spardata.com /valuation-information/rules-of-thumb.shtml (629 words)

	The Mavens' Word of the Day
		I have heard that the origin of the phrase "rule of thumb" comes from an old law that stated a husband could not beat his wife with a stick larger than the diameter of his thumb.
		For one thing, the phrase is first attested in the late seventeenth century, or a hundred years before the thumb-stick-beating practice is first known.
		Finally, there is no semantic link between the "rule of thumb," which means 'a general method based on experience or practice as opposed to scientific calculation; a rough or practical method' and the idea of beating one's wife with a thin stick.
	www.randomhouse.com /wotd/index.pperl?date=19961108 (388 words)

	Language/Etymology/rule of thumb (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-04)
		The OED2 defines "rule of thumb" thusly: "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." Another part of the definition: "Of persons: Working only by methods derived from practice." Maddy would be happy to see this extension of the phrase: "Hence rule-of-'thumbite, a person who works by rule of thumb."
		And if he had, it is not easily seen how the thumb is the standard of size for the instrument which he may use, as some of the old authorities have said; and in deference to which was his Honor's charge.
	tafkac.org /language/etymology/rule_of_thumb.html (1847 words)

	Where did the 'rule of thumb' come from? - www.smh.com.au
		In the dim dark days of early England, it was ruled that a master could, without excessive force, smack, strike, beat...
		A thumb was a general measure; pity the poor servant of a hairy-backed peat farmer.
		A more comfortable origin is the idea that expert woodworkers knew their trade so well that they forwent traditional measuring implements and instead used their thumbs.
	www.smh.com.au /articles/2003/08/22/1061513792128.html?from=storyrhs (625 words)

	Reason Magazine - Who Can Win in 2004?
		Actually, finding any political rule that works so well for a whole century is quite hard.
		The people's choice, albeit by the narrowest of margins, was Gore, who was past his expiration (though only by two years, having taken 16 to reach the vice presidency from Congress).
		The 14-year rule held, but thanks to the vagaries of the Electoral College and the Supreme Court.
	www.reason.com /rauch/101703.shtml (1348 words)

	Rule of Thumb (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-04)
		The central figures emerging from the jailbreak were a couple of well-known thugs -- Jean Tatoune and Amiot Metayer -- at odds with each other until Friday when a stolen tractor crashed through the prison walls to free them along with 157 other prisoners.
		Tatoune was serving a life sentence for involvement in a 1994 massacre while the country was under military rule.
		There seems to be little conformity with the rule of law, no respect for an independent judiciary, and little regard for a competent law-enforcement system.''
	www.caribvoice.org /Editorials/ruleofthumb.html (738 words)

	Amazon.com: Rule of Thumb Measuring System Both English and Metric: Books: Jeffrey G. McNabb,Jim Kelley,Pam Zimmerman (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-04)
		Rule of Thumb Measuring System Both English and Metric (Paperback)
		The Rule of Thumb Measuring System both English and Metric is a must for every child.
		This colorful activities book is rapidly becoming the standard technique in learning measuring, both English and Metric, and understanding fractions.
	www.amazon.com /Thumb-Measuring-System-English-Metric/dp/0966979400 (773 words)

	Rule of Thumb
		Thumb!' JD declared, kneeling down as well and taking hold of his hand and shaking it carefully.
		Now that Tom was closer, JD could see that the little person was a grown man, older than either of them.
		JD coughed and Thumb wondered if he should have Gleason bring some milk.
	www.nottasha.com /thumb.htm (2656 words)

	Rule Of Thumb (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-04)
		Each topic is clearly presented, with extensive hyperlinks to other web sites that provide in depth information on the points covered.
		As the name of this site implies, I have strived to present "rules of thumb" for the topics covered.
		I would be interested in hearing any questions, comments, or suggestions.
	www.ruleofthumb.com (143 words)

	Rule of thumb ? (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-04)
		I just read that the rule of thumb for a cpu Vcore is not too add more than.25V to the normal Vcore, as long as temps are fine, of course.
		I wouldnt just go by the 'rule of thumb' cos if this guy only needs a.05v increase to overclock that much an extra.2v could possibly fry it.
		Every pc ive ever touched is so different from the last, you get to know your own a hell of a lot more than a generalised 'rule of thumb' built up over thousands of comps.
	www.hardwareforums.com /rule-thumb-1090 (2083 words)

	Rule Of Thumb
		A man brought before the court on a charge of beating his wife would be acquitted if the rod was thinner than his thumb - the so-called "rule of thumb".
		Urban legend - from the tip of my thumb to the first joint is almost exactly one inch - I measure with it now and then, especially on printed maps.
		Couldn't it be that habit of the painters - when drawing outdoors some landscape, to stretch their hand with a thumb up to "measure" a distant object, and then transfer it to the canvas?
	c2.com /cgi/wiki?RuleOfThumb (178 words)

	Comparing the best arguments for Islam and Christanity
		Because my thumb is much closer to me than Mount Everest, I can make it appear as if my thumb is larger.
		Yet none of this changes the fact that the sun is millions of times larger than the moon, and that Mount Everest is millions of times larger than my thumb.
		Perhaps the evidence for Christianity is really no bigger than my thumb, while the mountain of evidence for Islam stands far off on the horizon.
	www.answering-islam.org /Authors/Wood/best_argument.htm (3117 words)

	Rule of Thumb - Specialists in Agricultural Web Site Design and Hosting
		Rule of Thumb - Specialists in Agricultural Web Site Design and Hosting
		Our aim is to promote the understanding and application of Agricultural IT.
		Rule of Thumb is run by Farmers, for Farmers.
	www.ruleofthumb.co.uk (141 words)

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