That's a bit of folk etymology that has been floating about for a few
decades. It has been thoroughly debunked. See

Henry Ansgar Kelly, "Rule of Thumb and the Folklaw of the Husband's
Stick," Journal of Legal Education, September 1994.

Kelly does an excellent job of tracing how the idea that the phrase is
misogynist appeared in some feminist literature and was propagated
without people bothering to take simple measures to verify the claim
(like checking the OED).

The interesting question, though, is whether one wants to avoid the term
so as not to rile those who believe the story (whatever the truth behind
it). I have seen style guides so advising. It seems a pity to abandon
such a useful phrase, but folk etymology can be a powerful normative
force. Just look at the word "niggardly," which also seems to have
become taboo based on incorrect assumptions about its origin.

Karl Hagen
Department of English
Mount St. Mary's College

Martha Kolln wrote:

> 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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