Rant: exceptions that prove the rule.

That's the exception that proves the rule, people say.

And is it? Really?

Well, call me pedantic, but it can only be an exception that proves the rule if 1) there is a rule, and, 2) the exception is indeed proving it. 

Look, the sun is shining! In England! It's the exception that proves the rule!

No it isn't. There isn't a rule. Not about English weather. That's why English people spend half their lives talking about how surprised they are by it.

An exception that proves the rule will be something like this:

THURSDAY THE 28TH FEBRUARY WILL BE A NO-UNIFORM DAY.

See? If there wasn't a rule there would have been no point in putting up the notice in the first place. I mean, you don't get notices saying THURSDAY 28TH FEBRUARY WILL BE A NO-GIRAFFE DAY, do you.

There we are. It's simple, logical...

...and almost universally ignored.

Ah well.

Word To Use today: exception. This word comes from the Latin word excipere, to take out.