Meaning of lesbian rule | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A flexible leaden mason's rule that can be bent around the curves of a molding, and thus used to measure or reproduce irregular curves.
   rare
2. Alternative letter-case form of Lesbian rule.
   alt-of, especially, rare
3. A flexible principle, one which may be bent to accommodate or fit different circumstances.
   broadly

Examples

“Or, with a Lesbian rule—that strip of soft lead which could be pressed into a particularly satisfying molding to record its profile—we explored buildings that interested us.”

“Instead , the good architect would use a "Lesbian" rule, which "adapts itself to the shape of the stone and is not rigid."”

“He asks: “Is Scripture become a Lesbian''' rule and bowed to our fancies? But this is the very answer that a classical brother gave me […]”

“[…] that it may exercise authority as a rule for the direction of life, and for prescribing some limits to liberty, and not that it may be slavishly subservient to the wills of men, like a Lesbian rule, which may be accommodated to every condition; since these are some of the properties of religion, man is not permitted to stipulate concerning it, […]”

“[…] and cemented by a thousand links of union, the law of marriage should be a Lesbian rule, which shifts according to the circumstances of place; and that acts which in England would be absolutely null may be binding marriages in Scotland […]”

“Lesbian rules — rules which accommodate themselves to the wishes of men, and bend to all the demands of denominational prejudice — have been quite too long employed to elucidate, or rather to misinterpret, the Scriptures.”

“[…] have Lesbian rules of interpretation - rules which he can bend to his wishes and so apply as to make the Scriptures yield the meaning he desires. But these rules are not of that kind. They are meant to be just and impartial.”

“This is certainly using a Lesbian rule, to adapt Christ in such a way as to bring Him into accord with Aristotle, rather than Aristotle with Christ.”

“It has to be, shall we say, you have to work with a lesbian rule, I suppose! You know what a lesbian rule is? It's a rule that you can bend.”

“Using slides of photographs from advertising and art, the authors discuss the importance of using "lesbian rules" (a term deriving from a mason's tool that allows measuring flexibility) to understand the dimensions of sexual expression […]”

“In an attempt to build a few intertextual bridges, we use images from lesbian literature to illustrate principles we find most useful in thinking psychoanalytically about homosexuality. We call these principles lesbian rules. A lesbian rule was originally a mason's rule made of lead […] Thus, figuratively, it became, […] "a principle allowing flexibility." […] Clinical psychoanalysis uses many such lesbian rules.”

CEFR level