Idiom Corner The Exception That Proves the Rule

Idiom Corner The Exception That Proves the Rule Idiom Corner: The Exception That Proves the Rule â€Å"The exception that proves the rule† is a commonly misused phrase in English. Yet it’s also one that most people have heard, so let us clarify how an exception can prove a rule. The Exception That Proves the Rule Librarians are notorious food thieves.(Image: Enokson/flickr) This phrase has its origins in a Latin legal principle that stated â€Å"the exception confirms the rule in cases not excepted.† In other words, when there’s an exception to a rule, we know that there must be a rule to which it is an exception (even when this rule isn’t explicit). For example, if you see a sign saying â€Å"No food or drink in the library,† you can work out from this alone that food and drink is allowed in other places. So the exception (i.e., â€Å"No food or drink in the library†) proves that another rule must exist (i.e., â€Å"Food and drink is permitted outside of the library†). This is the original use of the phrase and still the â€Å"correct† use for many passionate pedants. But it is not what most people now mean by â€Å"the exception that proves the rule.† Read on to find out more. Modern Usage Old Latin legal principles are not all that popular anymore. Consequently, the phrase â€Å"the exception that proves the rule† has taken on a new meaning. Nowadays, then, it usually means the exception that tests the rule. This is based on a definition of â€Å"proves† that we also see in phrases like â€Å"proving ground,† â€Å"the proof of the pudding is in the eating,† and even in â€Å"proofreading.† In all these cases, â€Å"proof† means test something to check that it’s valid or correct. As such, an exception can â€Å"prove† a rule if it makes us question it (or even reject it). For example, we might believe   â€Å"everyone loves pudding† as a rule. But the existence of one person who hates pudding would then be an exception that â€Å"proves† or tests this rule. Who put the proof in the pudding?(Images: Rita E F=q(E+v^B)) You’ll want to avoid this usage in formal writing, as it is based on a confusion. But people will know what you mean if you use â€Å"the exception that proves the rule† this way in conversation. How Not to Use the Phrase This phrase is used in another way sometimes: i.e., taking â€Å"the exception that proves the rule† to mean an exception can confirm a rule. Unfortunately, this does not make sense because it involves a direct contradiction. For instance, let us return to the world in which â€Å"everyone loves pudding† is a rule. If an exception could  Ã¢â‚¬Å"confirm† this, we would have to treat someone who hates pudding as â€Å"proof† our original rule was true. And this is clearly absurd, as well as unfair on people who don’t like pudding. Summary: The Exception That Proves the Rule To summarize, this phrase has two common uses: In formal writing, an exception can â€Å"prove† the existence of an unstated rule (i.e., if there is an exception to a rule, there must be a rule to which it is an exception). This original use of the phrase is rare in modern English. The modern use of this phrase is to mean â€Å"the exception that tests the rule† (i.e., an exception that makes us question a rule). However, you should never use this phrase to mean â€Å"the exception confirms the rule.† This would be incorrect and illogical. And if you want someone to make sure you’re using idioms correctly, let us know.