A rule of thumb is a principle with broad application that is not intended to be strictly accurate or reliable for every situation. It is an easily learned and easily applied procedure for approximately calculating or recalling some value, or for making some determination. Compare this to heuristic, a similar concept used in mathematical discourse, psychology and computer science, particularly in algorithm design. heuristic (hyu̇-ˈris-tik is a method to help solve a problem commonly an informal method Mathematics is the body of Knowledge and Academic discipline that studies such concepts as Quantity, Structure, Space and Psychology (from Greek grc ψῡχή psȳkhē, "breath life soul" and grc -λογία -logia) is an Academic and Computer science (or computing science) is the study and the Science of the theoretical foundations of Information and Computation and their In Mathematics, Computing, Linguistics and related subjects an algorithm is a sequence of finite instructions often used for Calculation See also mnemonic. A mnemonic device (nəˈmɒnɪk is a Memory aid Commonly met mnemonics are often verbal something such as a very short poem or a special word used to help a person remember
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Origin of the phrase
The earliest citation comes from Sir William Hope’s The Compleat Fencing-Master, second edition, 1692, page 157: "What he doth, he doth by rule of thumb, and not by art. "[1] The term is thought to originate with wood workers who used the length of their thumbs rather than rulers for measuring things, cementing its modern use as an inaccurate, but reliable and convenient standard. [2]
It is often claimed that the term originally referred to a law that limited the maximum thickness of a stick with which it was permissible for a man to beat his wife, but this has been fully discredited as a hoax. Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or spousal abuse) occurs when a family member partner or ex-partner attempts to physically or psychologically dominate [3] Sir Francis Buller, a British judge, was alleged to have stated that a man may legally beat his wife, provided that he used a stick no thicker than his thumb. 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 rumoured statement was so unpopular that it caused him to be lambasted as "Judge Thumb" in a satirical James Gillray cartoon. James Gillray, sometimes spelled Gilray (born August 13, 1757 in Chelsea; died June 1, 1815) was a British The "rule of thumb" was referenced in at least four legal cases from 1782 to 1897, and in each of the known cases it was referred to only to state its invalidity, with one judge calling it ". . . a barbarous custom which modern authorities condemn. "[4] "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, the 'rule of thumb' has never been the law in England. Common law refers to law and the corresponding legal system developed through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive "[5] In the modern period, this non-law gained popularity after feminist Del Martin wrote about it in 1976. Dorothy Louise 'Del' Martin nee Taliaferro (May 5 1921 &ndash August 27 2008 and Phyllis Ann Lyon (born November 10 1924 were an American Lesbian
Examples of usage
Financial - Rule of 72. In Finance, the rule of 72, the rule of 70 and the rule of 69 are methods for estimating an Investment 's doubling time A rule of thumb for exponential growth at a constant rate. Exponential growth (including Exponential decay) occurs when the growth rate of a mathematical function is proportional to the function's current value An approximation of the doubling time formula used in population growth, which says divide 70 by the percent growth rate (the actual number is 69. 3147181 from the natural logarithm of 2, if the percent growth is much much less than 1%). In terms of money, it is frequently easier to use 72 (rather than 70) because it works better in the 4%-10% range where interest rates often lie. Therefore, divide 72 by the percent interest rate to determine the approximate amount of time to double your money in an investment. For example, at 8% interest, your money will double in approximately 9 years (72/8 = 9).
Tailors' Rule of Thumb. This is the fictional rule described by Jonathan Swift in his satirical novel Gulliver's Travels:
| “ | Then they measured my right Thumb, and desired no more; for by a mathematical Computation, that twice round the Thumb is once around the Wrist, and so on to the Neck and Waist, and by the help of my old Shirt, which I displayed on the Ground before them for a Pattern, they fitted me exactly. Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 Gulliver's Travels (1726 amended 1735 officially Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World in Four Parts " [6] | ” |
Marine Navigation. A ship's captain should navigate to keep the ship more than a thumb's width from the shore, as shown on the nautical chart being used. A nautical chart is a graphic representation of a maritime area and adjacent Coastal regions Thus, with a coarse scale chart, that provides few details of nearshore hazards such as rocks, a thumb's width would represent a great distance, and the ship would be steered far from shore; whereas on a fine scale chart, in which more detail is provided, a ship could be brought closer to shore. [7]
Statistics. The Statistical Rule of Thumb says that for most large data sets, 68% of data points will occur within one standard deviation from the mean, and 95% will occur within two standard deviations. In Probability and Statistics, the standard deviation is a measure of the dispersion of a collection of values Chebyshev's inequality is a more general rule along these same lines and applies to all data sets. In Probability theory, Chebyshev's inequality (also known as Tchebysheff's inequality, Chebyshev's theorem, or the Bienaymé-Chebyshev inequality
Hazardous Material Emergency Response. Hazardous material (hazmat) emergency responders in the US are trained to various levels of capability for action during a hazmat incident, with names for the capabilities varying by locale. Typically, basic-level responders are trained to be able to recognize various types of hazardous materials and establish an isolation perimeter around the site of the incident. Basic-level responders will observe the rule of thumb for establishing a minimum safe distance from a hazmat site. If the responder is uphill and upwind from the incident, and they are able to visually cover the site with a thumb held at arm's length, they are assumed to be a safe distance away from the event. Of course, this varies greatly depending on the nature of the hazmat incident, and should only be used as a general guideline. More specific information about hazardous material isolation is available in a material's material safety data sheet, or in such documents as the Emergency Response Guidebook, published by Chemtrec in the US. A material safety data sheet ( MSDS) is a form containing data regarding the properties of a particular substance Other countries typically have their own hazmat emergency response resources.
Etiquette. In a formal place setting, the silverware and the dinner plate should be set back from the edge of the table a length equal to the distal phalanx of the thumb. Distal Phalanges (single distal phalanx) are bones found in the limbs of most Vertebrate Skeletons In humans they are the finger
Brewing. Before the invention of thermometers, the brewer tested the wort by placing his thumb in it. When he could reliably place his thumb in the wort without having to remove it because of the heat, the wort was cool enough to pitch the yeast. Yeasts are a growth form of eukaryotic Microorganisms classified in the kingdom Fungi, with about 1500 Species currently described
See also
References
- ^ 28env - J.Straton - North Carolina.Violence women
- ^ The "Rule of Thumb for Wife-Beating" Hoax
- ^ The "Rule of Thumb for Wife-Beating" Hoax
- ^ 28env - J.Straton - North Carolina.Violence women
- ^ Rule of thumb
- ^ Jonathan Swift. Gulliver's Travels - Part I: A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT - Chapter 6
- ^ Capt. Dan's Coastal Navigation Course: Sailors' Rules of Thumb
External links
- Every rule of thumb on earth in one place - A user participation reference project based on Tom Parker's 3 best-selling books and more than 25 years of research. A heuristic argument is an Argument that reasons from the value of a method or principle that has been shown by experimental (especially Trial-and-error) investigation Common sense (or when used attributively as an Adjective, commonsense, common-sense, or commonsensical) based on a strict construction The phrase back-of-the-envelope calculations refers to rough calculations that while not rigorous test or support a point
- A collection of various Rules of Thumb - A wiki based collection of user submitted rules of thumb
- Straight Dope - Discussion of the origins of the term by Cecil Adams.
- Business Rules of Thumb . com - A collection of business-oriented rules of thumb
- Debunker.com - Plenty of evidence against the wife-beating urban myth
- European Men Profeminist Network - Faulty legal citations of the bogus wife-beating law.
Dictionary
rule of thumb
-noun
- A general guideline, rather than a strict rule; an approximate measure or means of reckoning based on experience or common knowledge.
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