Etymograph / Myth vs. record / rule of thumb

Myth vs. record

rule of thumb

Every word has its own definition in its root. Some words also carry a story about where they came from. Here is what Wiktionary says about the story, and what the record shows.

What Wiktionary says about the story

The erroneous claim that the term referred to the maximum thickness of a stick with which it was permissible for a man to beat his wife has appeared in The Washington Post and Time; it may originate from Del Martin's 1976 book Battered Wives.

The record

Attested since 1658.