Ruled out / ruled in

**expat** · 7 December 2005, 08:12

Originally posted by thunderlizard

Lots of sticklers for proper English on here, so please discuss:

I have just been listening to Pensions Minister Stephen Timms on "Today in parliament", saying about some forthcoming review or other that "nothing has been ruled out or ruled in".

To my mind, "ruling out" means taking hold of a ruler and using it to draw a straight line through some words, thus crossing them out. So how does "ruling in " work? It's not just Mr Timms who uses this phrase. I've definitely heard it before.

Analogy with something like tennis perhaps? The umpire could rule out a ball, or of course rule it in.

**BlasterBates** · 7 December 2005, 08:36

...as in

Put your left rule in.
your left rule out.
in out, in out
you shake it all about.

**Francko** · 7 December 2005, 08:59

Originally posted by BlasterBates

...as in

Put your left rule in.
your left rule out.
in out, in out
you shake it all about.

You forgot...

You do the Hokey-Pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!

**wendigo100** · 7 December 2005, 09:06

Originally posted by thunderlizard

To my mind, "ruling out" means taking hold of a ruler and using it to draw a straight line through some words, thus crossing them out. So how does "ruling in " work? It's not just Mr Timms who uses this phrase. I've definitely heard it before.

Perhaps you made the wrong mental analogy when you first heard "rule out".

It's like this. Imagine you are a bull, how would you feel? Now imagine how you would feel when people start throwing darts at you in a pub.

Pick another analogy, like the hokey-cokey one.

**Rebecca Loos** · 7 December 2005, 10:10

it's rule not as in ruler but as in law, edict, "rules of a game"

you can be outside of the rules or inside

**BlasterBates** · 7 December 2005, 10:29

But a ruler also rules doesn't he.

**Rebecca Loos** · 7 December 2005, 10:34

true!
But not the ones I had at school

**BlasterBates** · 7 December 2005, 10:58

...yes school rules are different.

It also depends on the school.

**wendigo100** · 7 December 2005, 11:18

Originally posted by BlasterBates

...yes school rules are different.

It also depends on the school.

Alright. Imagine you are a ruler and people start throwing darts at you in a pub.

Ruled out / ruled in