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Monday, October 17, 2011
Beating The "Rule of Thumb" Again
I can't believe that books are still be published that repeat the false claim that "rule of thumb" refers to the thickness of a switch that a husband was allowed to use to beat his wife. This book gives a very detailed, footnoted history of how this feminist claim became commonly believed. Here is a 1987 ABA Journal article that is, of course, not footnoted, and contains this nonsense.
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4 comments:
The Straight Dope addresses the myth.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2550/does-rule-of-thumb-refer-to-an-old-law-permitting-wife-beating
The work-safeness of the cartoon graphic is questionable - and typical for that site. I'd play it safe and click The Straight Dope only at home.
Vice President Biden gave a speech at the University of New Hampshire back in April where he related the "rule of thumb" yarn. I imagine that he's been doing it for decades, and it's buried so deep in his brain that he can't stop. (Ref: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mud-pQ-NZWU at about the 20:30 mark)
Paul, you mean that the myth is so deeply engrained in Neil Kinnocks' mind ...
Hey, it's in the Boondock Saints. That's good enough for me!
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