rule of thumb
a useful, general principle
TRANSLATION
Faustregel
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
"A simple rule of thumb, the larger the chilli, the milder it is."
(BBC News - 1st December 2004)
Interested in learning all about chillis? Go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/mostof_chilli.shtml
(BBC News - 1st December 2004)
Interested in learning all about chillis? Go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/mostof_chilli.shtml
Did you
know?
If a general rule or principle provides a roughly correct result, then this is called a "rule of thumb."
One theory traces the phrase back to the bad old days when an old law granted a man the right to beat his wife as long as the stick was no thicker than his thumb.
A rule of thumb for building up your basic English vocabulary is: when you hear or read the same new word in 3 different situations, then you know that it is statistically important. It therefore must be worth learning.
Do you have any rules of thumb for learning English? I'd like to hear from you.
One theory traces the phrase back to the bad old days when an old law granted a man the right to beat his wife as long as the stick was no thicker than his thumb.
A rule of thumb for building up your basic English vocabulary is: when you hear or read the same new word in 3 different situations, then you know that it is statistically important. It therefore must be worth learning.
Do you have any rules of thumb for learning English? I'd like to hear from you.
