Rule of Thumb

 I heard this myth again the other day. This myth refuses to die. In the past, a man had a right to beat his wife provided he did not use a stick thicker than his thumb.

There has never been a rule or a law in England that a man is entitled to beat his wife provided he uses a stick no thicker than his thumb. William Blackstone (1723-80) wrote Commentaries on the Laws of England (1765-1769). He made no mention of a supposed rule that a stick could be used to hit your wife if it was not thicker than a thumb. So it was never a part of English common law.

We are not certain how the phrase ‘rule of thumb’ arose but it probably came from craftsmen using their thumbs to measure.

Namibia

 I wrote a brief history of Namibia 

Malawi

 This is my history of Malawi 

The Cathars

 I wrote a brief history of the Cathars, a religious sect that flourished in southern France in the Middle Ages

Blackpool

 I wrote a brief history of the English seaside town of Blackpool. It's a famous resort. 

Holocaust Memorial Day

27 January is Holocaust Memorial Day. On 27 January 1945, the Russian army liberated Auschwitz concentration camp.

On Tenterhooks

 Why do say on tenterhooks? After it was woven wool was pounded in a mixture of clay and water to clean and thicken it. This was called fulling. Afterward, the wool was stretched on a frame called a tenter to dry. It was hung on tenterhooks. So if you were very tense, like stretched cloth, you were on tenterhooks.