It's here: John Powell's _The Kukri_ - 1st 3 chapters online...

JP excellent work. Its amazing how a simple labor of love can bloom into such a rose.:D
 
Federico, you're so poetic!

A simple labor of love? Simple?

There are more thorns in this rose than you can imagine, but I'll keep going till I'm bloody...
 
JP isnt that the nature of this type of research, with all the stories from old men that seem to change from telling to telling, to all the records that seem to contradict, to the museum catalogs that just cant historically be correct, etc... Though with the more blood we give, somedays it only seem to breed more thorns than blooms, but how sweet those blooms are, no matter how small. And then there is all the loopiness due to blood loss:D ;) :p
 
Just got done reading the first three chapters (and taking in those beautiful pictures!), now I can hardly wait to read the rest. Excellent work John, you should be very proud.
 
I like. As a tech writer and editor, allow me but one editorial comment:

Chapter two, second paragraph, sentence one reads:
"A very loose rule-of-thumb for kukri knives..."
I would change this to:
"As a general rule for kukri knives..."

Now the dark history of this phrase--The "rule of thumb" was the rule that said a husband could only beat his wife with a stick no bigger in diameter than his thumb.

Keith
 
Now the dark history of this phrase--The "rule of thumb" was the rule that said a husband could only beat his wife with a stick no bigger in diameter than his thumb.
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Too bad a reciprocal "rule of wrist" was never established; one which said that a wife could shove such a stick up an abusive husband's rear. On topic, I agree that little change would be positive. Overall though, great writing John, keep 'em coming.
 
Hi!
No offence to anyone intended , as after all we are all intitled to our own views, but personaly John, I would say dont lose any sleep over whether your phraeseology is politicaly correct or not, as in my humble veiw language naturaly develops & evolves over the years, & I dont belive the use of the phrase "a lose rule of thumb" means the the same today as it did 300+ years ago.
Keep up the good work!

Spiral

"political correctness for the sake of it be dammed!" {"or Ill be the son of a gun"} there again perhaps I am!
 
I was curious about this etymology of rule-of-thumb as to do with sticks for wife-beating - I've heard it before. A little research shows that:

Christina Hoff Sommers, in her book, _Who Stole Feminism_ (1994, ISBN: 0671-79424-8) traces the earliest use of ['rule of thumb' and thumb-stick (a stick for beating one's wife, no thicker than one's thumb)] together to a 1976 NOW report by Del Martin whom she quotes as writing: "For instance the common-law doctrine had been modified to allow the husband 'the right to whip his wife, provided that he used a switch no bigger than his thumb' -- a rule of thumb, so to speak." Sommers quotes a number of sources to show that this was probably misinterpreted as implying a connection between the rule and the phrase. How widely it was misinterpreted is a matter for debate. Sommers appears to think it was widely believed, it certainly did turn up in a number of news reports, mostly quoting people working in battered women's shelters.
(see from S. Fenick, Uni. of Chicago on _Urban Legends_ for more details and discussion)
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a fuller expose of this false-etymology seems to be:
Kelly, Henry Ansgar. "Rule of Thumb and the Folklaw of the Husbands Stick". _Journal of Legal Education_ Sept. 1994 (44 J. Legal Educ. 341).

so the first time 'rule of thumb' is claimed to have to do with sticks for wife-beating is 1976.

the exact etymology of the phrase is not entirely clear, but the basic idea seems to be the idea of measurement, in carpentry, brewing, etc -- that is, not-entirely-accurate, but quick and easy measurement. Sort of like measuring the length of a room by pacing it off (and counting the number of steps) - measuring by one's foot.


so this appears to be another one of those interesting sounding, and often repeated, but incorrect etymologies: like 'tips' (as in 'tipping a waiter') as an acronym of 'To Insure Prompt Service' (it's not - it comes from a root 'tip' or 'top' - the idea seems to be 'adding something extra to the top'), or the fabulous 4-letter word etymologies of 'Fornification or Unlawful Carnal Knowledge' or 'Ship High In Transit' - again both false.

cheers,
--B.
 
Originally posted by Roadrunner
..."rule of thumb"..."rule of wrist"...
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:D Funny...I was just watching "Boondock Saints", my very favorite movie ever.

If you have the DVD, the full "McManus bros v. Rosengurtle Baumgartener" scene is in there.

[/derail]

I'm definitely looking forward to reading this entire book! Maybe an autographed copy...? :)
 
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