Quote
1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.

“The way that I’ve always gone about making music, the rule of thumb, has just been to make what I love.”
Singer Amy Lee talking about her guideline for making music (BrainyQuote)
Definition
1. Definition - Study the definition.
general rule or guideline one follows
2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.
Is there something you do everyday that is based upon a general principle. Sometimes, we do things that we know will work because of experience. For example, your mother knows by heart how to bake a delicious cake. She doesn’t measure every ingredient but follows a rule of thumb. She knows she needs to put some sugar, a little bit of butter, and flour in a bowl, and mix the ingredients together.
When you do something based on experience, its called doing it by rule of thumb. The expression comes from carpenters using their thumbs to measure things, rather than using rulers. They use their experience and practice to do their work. A good rule of thumb is to save some of the money you earn from working in case of an emergency.
Singer Amy Lee’s rule of thumb is to make music that she loves.
What is a rule of thumb you follow?
Examples
1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.
“As a rule of thumb you should pay for your date’s dinner. “
“When I go out to eat, my rule of thumb is to eat only half of what is on the plate. The other half I take home and share with my boyfriend.”
“My mother’s rule of thumb was to come home by midnight. Sometimes I was late, but she was nice about it and did not punish me. “