Reply to: Serious question

[GreenerGrass]

I had this discussion with the missus.

During the discussion I said 'well thats the exception that proves the rule'

so we had another discussion about what that saying actually means.

1.All US comedy is rubbish but the simpsons is the exeption that proves the rule (ie all US comedy is rubbish)

2.All US comedy is rubbish but the simpsons is the exeption that proves the rule (ie There is a new rule = NOT all US comedy is rubbish)

what do you think the saying means?

What about Curb Your Enthusiasm?

[TheFaQQer]

I had this discussion with the missus.

During the discussion I said 'well thats the exception that proves the rule'

so we had another discussion about what that saying actually means.

1.All US comedy is rubbish but the simpsons is the exeption that proves the rule (ie all US comedy is rubbish)

2.All US comedy is rubbish but the simpsons is the exeption that proves the rule (ie There is a new rule = NOT all US comedy is rubbish)

what do you think the saying means?

1.

[cojak]

Presumably not the famous & deceased writer of robot stories then.

Oh yes, I just forgot the correct spelling (I was a bit busy at that moment).

Isaac Asimov!

Old Isaac got me through my science 'O' levels (it certainly wasn't my teachers - they were hopeless...). I had all of his factual science books.

The Tragedy of the Moon and all those good books...

[Churchill]

I know it from science (but it applies to the legals too...)

Laws cannot be broken (there are no exceptions).

Rules can be broken through exceptions.

So therefore the exception proves that 'it' is a rule, not a law.

(Thanks Issac Azimov...)

Geeky Bird!

[cojak]

I know it from science (but it applies to the legals too...)

Laws cannot be broken (there are no exceptions).

Rules can be broken through exceptions.

So therefore the exception proves that 'it' is a rule, not a law.

(Thanks Issac Azimov...)

[Paddy]

I had this discussion with the missus.

During the discussion I said 'well thats the exception that proves the rule'

so we had another discussion about what that saying actually means.

1.All US comedy is rubbish but the simpsons is the exeption that proves the rule (ie all US comedy is rubbish)

2.All US comedy is rubbish but the simpsons is the exeption that proves the rule (ie There is a new rule = NOT all US comedy is rubbish)

what do you think the saying means?

Idiom:
as a rule
In general; for the most part: As a rule, we take the bus.

Therfore (1) is correct.

[NotAllThere]

Beggars the question...

oops, sorry. Calm down. Take your meds.

[thunderlizard]

Good link there from the sperm-walking testicle man!

I could tell you about "begs the question" too, but there's only so much excitement you can cope with on a Wednesday afternoon.

[Doggy Styles]

Good work TL. That sounds more than just feasible.

[BrilloPad]

Now readers. Can you see where he went wrong?

He should have got divorced?

[PRC1964]

I asked the internet.

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/e...-the-rule.html

The internet blames, lawyers and Latin.

[HairyArsedBloke]

Serious question

.....


I had this discussion with the missus.

Now readers. Can you see where he went wrong?

[Chantho]

I had this discussion with the missus.

During the discussion I said 'well thats the exception that proves the rule'

so we had another discussion about what that saying actually means.

1.All US comedy is rubbish but the simpsons is the exeption that proves the rule (ie all US comedy is rubbish)

2.All US comedy is rubbish but the simpsons is the exeption that proves the rule (ie There is a new rule = NOT all US comedy is rubbish)

what do you think the saying means?

"Prove" used to have the meaning of something akin to "test out, put on trial" which has been lost over the years. With this old meaning the phrase makes more sense, HTH

[thunderlizard]

I know this one!

It should really be "the exception that proves that there is a rule"

e.g. if you find a note stuck to the fridge that says "I'm not going to church this Sunday. Yours, Bob" you can infer that Bob, as a rule, goes to church on Sundays.

[Diestl]

I've heard "exception that proves the rule" many times. It is simply an ironic retort.

Ive never heard of it. I must be the the exception that proves the rule then.