ex pede Herculemphr.
Inferring the whole of something from some small or insignificant part of it, as Pythagoras is said to have calculated the height of Hercules from an estimate of the size of his foot.
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the mind > mental capacity > philosophy > logic > logical syllogism > logical argument > [phrase] > types of argument
ad hominem1588
Q.E.D.1614
ex pede Herculem1665
1665 R. Head Eng. Rogue I. sig. Aaa 6 I perceived she was endued with ingenuity, by the quaintness of her expressions, Ex pede Herculem.
a1734 R. North Examen (1740) i. ii. 102 But ex pede Herculem. They, that let so much be seen, had notable Reserves however couched.
1881 W. D. Hay 300 Years Hence p. vii From it he may glean some knowledge of Professor Meister's character: ex pede Herculem.
1936 Times Lit. Suppl. 10 Oct. 805/2 Ex pede Herculem; these changes may not seem serious except to connoisseurs of English prose rhythm.
1953 W. V. Quine From Logical Point of View iii. 63 The finished lexicon is a case..of ex pede Herculem... In projecting Hercules from the foot we risk error.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1972; most recently modified version published online September 2018).
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phr.1665