45. Rule of Thumb – Learn English Idioms with Videos

To celebrate their graduation, Trisha and Shauna, who were friends from university, decided to treat themselves to a meal together at a local restaurant. It had three Michelin stars. The food was exquisite! They had several courses each, two bottles of wine, dessert, and coffee. When it came time to split the bill, Shauna looked in her handbag and exclaimed, “Oh, no! I’ve left my purse at home! Could you foot the bill this time?” Trisha was irritated, but she offered Shauna a loan of money to cover her share of the bill if she promised to pay it back soon. Unfortunately for Trisha, she never saw Shauna or her money again! As a rule of thumb, Trisha never lends money to friends now. Do you agree with her decision?

Watch the latest video below to learn more about today’s idiom.

Transcript

Rule of thumb? Like, the rules for using your thumb?

No! A rule of thumb is a rule that is generally true or a general rule that you learn from experience (it’s not scientific).

Let’s see how we use this phrase naturally:

• As a rule of thumb, a handful of spaghetti will provide enough for three servings.
• It’s not 100% accurate, but as a rule of thumb, adding –ed to a verb creates the past simple form. For example, visit plus ­–ed equals visited (the past simple form).
• So, how many vegetables should you eat? Well, there’s no exact rule, but as a rule of thumb, try to eat five spoons of veg for each spoonful of meat.

So, there we are: rule of thumb. Do you have any of your own rules of thumb? If you do, let us know in the comments section below

Practice

Write your answers to the questions below using today’s idiom.

• Do you think it’s better to date people who are already in your circle of friends, or is it better to date strangers?
• Are there any rules you’ve set yourself when it comes to spending money? What are they, and why?
• When you buy clothes, are there any rules you follow to make sure the clothes look flattering?

We hope you’re enjoying this free video series!

If you want to continue improving your English comprehension, you may like our online course Essential English Idioms.