Comment by knodi123
The phrase bothers me because it's often used to set up a cousin to the no true scotsman fallacy. If you can't find an exception, then it proves the nay-sayer right. If you CAN find an exception.... it still proves the naysayer right?!?
I wouldn't use the phrase outside of silly internet jokes about 90s popcorn flicks.
The implication is that the exceptions are outliers.
If your rule is that carpenters are usually men and someone goes into a carpentry conference with 1000 carpenters and points out that 50 of them are women, you get to say "exception that proves the rule" and be right.
If your rule is that carpenters are usually women and someone goes into a carpentry conference with 1000 carpenters and points out that 950 of them are men, that's not the exception that proves the rule because 95% of the target population doesn't qualify as an exception.