Communication is the... | Communicative competence allows individuals to attain their communication goals and to realize the very essence of their humanity. Hence, the development of communicative competence has been identified as the central goal of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interv...
This phrase is, of course, 'the belle of the ball', not 'the bell of the ball', as it is sometimes incorrectly spelled. A ball is of course a social gathering for dancing etc. 'Belle', meaning 'fair; beautiful', was adopted into English in the 17th century from the Old French 'bele' and ultimately from the Latin 'bella'.
The phrase rule of thumb is derived from an old English law which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb. Actually Rule of Thumb origin is from 1782... Judge Sir Francis Butler made it a law that you could not beat your WIFE with a stick wider then your thumb. Wet Your Whistle..