Thread: Useless facts/knowledge

Originally Posted by Siguy

Every statement here has been completely fact-checked, I'm sure. Here's mine:

The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.

Actually, the rule of thumb law is a myth...it never existed in English Common Law. The law permitted a man to give his wife moderate correction, but excluded any physical beatings. A fact the feminists often use, but then again facts are something that eludes them in most cases. Next thing we'll hear the old myth about domestic violence rising during Super Bowl Sunday, another tired lie that gets dragged out every so often.

Rule of thumb originated as a measurement carpenters used, and was first cited as being a sloppy way to build something.

To be Keel Hauled, doesn't sound like it would have been fun: "The sailor was tied to a line that looped beneath the vessel, thrown overboard on one side of the ship, and dragged under the ship's keel, either from one side of the ship to the other, or the length of the ship (from bow to stern). As the hull was usually covered in barnacles and other marine growth, if the offender was pulled quickly, keelhauling would typically result in serious cuts, loss of limbs and even decapitation. If the victim was dragged slowly, his weight might lower him sufficiently to miss the barnacles, but this method would frequently result in his drowning."