the.com/ruler
a flat little tyrant that decides what's straight and who gets knuckles.
means A straight strip of wood, metal, or plastic marked with units, used for measuring lengths and drawing straight lines — or, the person who governs a place.
from From Old French 'reuler' and Latin 'regula,' a straight stick or bar, hence a rule or pattern, all rooted in 'regere,' to keep straight, guide, govern — a cousin of 'regal' and 'regiment.' The same Latin thread ties together the thing that measures lines and the person who lays down the law: both, in the old sense, keep things straight.
- royal sense
- Same word names monarchs and measuring sticks alike.
- standard origin
- A meter was once a platinum bar in Paris.
- classroom weapon
- Wielded for decades as schoolhouse instrument of discipline.
- hidden math
- Many include conversion tables and protractor curves.
- flexible kin
- Tape measures are just rulers that gave up rigidity.
henry viii — english king who ruled 1509-1547 and established the church of england
napoleon bonaparte — french military leader who ruled france 1804-1814 as emperor
victoria queen — british monarch who ruled 1837-1901 during the victorian era