If you have ever heard of the ‘rule of thumb’ concept, then you may have already thought that it does come across as being a rather strange idea. After all, what does it mean and why is your thumb involved in this particular equation?

Well, it turns out that the answer to the origins of this phrase are a lot easier to understand than you may have initially expected. However, there is no doubt that the origins are not exactly PC for the world today.

To understand the phrase, we have to go back several centuries to an old English law. In the law, it stated that you could not beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb. Or else it would then be deemed to be cruel. Now, this is pretty shocking when you think about it. But then society was certainly different back in the not-so-good olden days.

Anyway, from that ‘rule’ about the width of your thumb, it then kind of stuck as a saying. With it then evolving into being used in a variety of ways. Perhaps now that you know the origins, you will think twice about how to go ahead and use it in your own life?