DFRPG momentarily on Board Game Breakfast

[Celjabba]

Originally Posted by West_Winds

Sorry, it always confuses me when people use that turn of phrase. "The exception that proves the rule" because that's exactly the opposite of what an exception does to a rule. People who say that also never offer an example of how it proves the rule. So if you could please be so kind and humor me? I've always wanted to ask someone who says that to explain, so now I am.

If there is an exception, then by definition there is a rule. Otherwise it would not be (called) an exception.

In French, it is actually "confirm the rule" , (implied "confirm the existence of a rule") rather than prove.