Your response to Martha Kolln on "rule of thumb" has gotten me curious about "picnic day."  How is that ppotentially offensive?  I expect others on the list might be curious, too.

> ----------
> From:         Kathleen M. Ward
> Reply To:     Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
> Sent:         Thursday, August 26, 2004 9:32 AM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      Re: Rule of Thumb
> 
> I've heard this and think it's probably folk etymology.  The OED
> certainly has no evidence associating "rule of thumb" with
> wife-beating.  The first citation in 1697--well past any "medieval"
> rules about sticks.  And none of the citations has any reference that
> could be associated with wife beating.  All relate to the notion of a
> rule that is based on practice rather than theory.
> 
> However, my feeling is that enough people have heard of this folk
> etymology to be offended by it. When I used the term in passing in
> class, people objected. They may be wrong, but they are offended.
> And telling them  that they are wrong does not make them less
> offended.
> 
> Let me tell you about my defence the name of "Picnic Day" (a campus
> tradition) some time.  It wasn't pretty.
> 
> KMW
> 
> 
> >A reader of "Understanding English Grammar'" has asked Bob Funk, my
> >co-author, and me to delete all references to "rules of thumb" in our
> >book.  It came as a surprise to both of us that the term was
> >offensive.  It turns out, however, that the so-called rule has its
> >origin in the size of the stick that a husband could use when he beat
> >his wife!  I'm not sure how long ago that rule applied in  its
> >original state; and I'm also not convinced that anyone using the term
> >makes that connection.  I do see the term frequently in books like
> >ours.
> >
> >I'd appreciate any opinions as to the merits of this objection.
> >
> >Martha
> >
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