The expression of “doing it according to Hoyle” was very common when I was growing up. I had no idea where it came from. But was used to assure that whatever the task, it was done correctly. It wasn’t until adulthood that I learned that Hoyle was the name of an individual.
According to Wikipedia, "Edmond Hoyle (1672 –1769) was a writer best known for his works on the rules and play of card games. The phrase "according to Hoyle" came into the language as a reflection of his generally perceived authority on the subject; since that time, use of the phrase has expanded into general use in situations in which a speaker wishes to indicate an appeal to a putative authority.”
I came across this little 4 1/2 by 7", 238 page book this afternoon on our bookshelves. Elaine reminded me that it had come from her folks and told of how her Dad spent a lot of time reading the fine print to get the “rules” for various card games. The latest copyright on this book is 1924 by Laird & Lee, Inc. Elaine’s family were Pinochle Card players and I suspect Albert was very familiar will all 6 pages on the rules of the game. I attempted to learn the game when Elaine and I were courting, but it wasn’t one of my priorities. I did try though, to do everything else “according to Hoyle”.
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