Comments (14) (Please sign in to comment)

1. 

   Ellen Gwynne said, 11 months ago

   Actually, it’s from an old medeival law that a man could not beat his wife with a stick wider than his thumb. Must be wives of skinny guys had it much better. Soooo unfair.
2. 

   pcolli said, 11 months ago

   Measure twice – done. Cut once – Oh B&^^&$£S; there goes my thumb.
3. 

   rsketch said, 11 months ago

   @Ellen Gwynne

   As it happens, that isn’t true. There’s a page on The Straight Dope all about the real origin of “rule of thumb” and where this mistaken origin comes from: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2550/does-rule-of-thumb-refer-to-an-old-law-permitting-wife-beating
4. 

   Citizen GROG! said, 11 months ago

   I’m all thumbs.
5. 

   celecca said, 11 months ago

   @Ellen Gwynne

   Gee, I thought it came from Norm Abram and Bob Vila
6. 

   Doctor Toon said, 11 months ago

   Thumbs up for 2C&C
7. 

   Dry said, 11 months ago

   LOL!
8. 

   Digital Frog said, 11 months ago

   Thumb things goin’ on around here.
9. 

   LingeeWhiz said, 11 months ago

   There once was a very wise ruler named Thumb and he ruled all of Thumbland with an iron fist.
10. 

    oldman2013 said, 11 months ago

    look at my thumb gee your dumb
11. 

    ColoradoRon said, 11 months ago

    The term “rule of thumb” comes from Old English. A husband was allowed to hit his wife with a stick that was no thicker than a man’s thumb. Obviously barbaric but an interesting orgin for a very common term. Now you know…
12. 

    pschearer said, 11 months ago

    @ColoradoRon

    Rulle of thumb: Folk etymologies are almost always wrong. Look at the link in @rsketch’s comment above.
13. 

    pcolli said, 11 months ago

    I always thought that the width of a man’s thumb was generally held to be equal to one inch.
14. 

    LingeeWhiz said, 11 months ago

    Do you think his little girls name is Thumbellina??
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