Case in Point vs. Point in Case

oooooooooh!(I still kinda don't get it! But I like it! It's catchy!)

Did you have to confuse me so early in the morning??

I always wondered why you picked that name for your old column and then the site. In this case however, I think I would have preferred the mystery. Perhaps if you used visual aids...

As I used to write, my actual thought process behind the term is "here are some POINTS to consider, IN CASE this ever happens to you."

This post merely describes the official etymology of the term. Also, I would like to get higher in Google rankings for the term "case in point," for those confused people who go searching.

the funny thing is, when I first discovered this site, my buddy was like, "Hey, this website published an article I wrote. Go to Caseinpoint.com and check it out," and it took like forever to figure out what the hell website he was actually published on.

A friend of mine is called 'Cees'.
It's a Dutch name that is pronounced pretty much the same as the English word 'case'.
A 'point in case' would take a somewhat painful twist, where he is concerned.

wim

Hey cool, I've actually thought about this before too and have come to the same conclusion!

Okay so here's an update :-)

Hmmm.... maybe another way to think of it is that the cases are encapsulated by the point.

"The point I'm trying to make here is that watching too much TV can have negative effects on my general well-being" -- There's the point.

Cases:
1. I was late to work because I watched to much TV the night before.
2. I didn't eat dinner because I was busy watching TV.
3. I watched TV for a week straight without sleeping and now I'm blind.

So each case fits in or is encapsulated by the point.

Otherwise the point is illustrated by the case.

This whole concept bothers me too... I thought for sure I had it figured out a while back, people must be wrong and it just has to be "point in case." I finally began writing about it today, and now I'm leaning back toward the convention.

I may never get the point, but in any case I'm probably thinking about it too much...

'Case in point' is similar to saying 'in a nutshell'.

The point made having succinctly illustrated the entire case.

a case in point - the word case is in reference to the story, episode, or example being used as a point. In point is in reference to that case being used as a point for ones orginal argument.

EX: This story is a case in point on how some people do not understand word usage.

The story is a case highlighting the fact that the righter does not understand the other usages of the word case. It is in point to how people do not understand general word usage.

Think of case as the detective or crime case, the instance of events that pretain to a single overall idea, theme, or point and not the brief case.

case1 /ke?s/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[keys] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. an instance of the occurrence, existence, etc., of something: Sailing in such a storm was a case of poor judgment.
2. the actual state of things: That is not the case.
3. a question or problem of moral conduct; matter: a case of conscience.
4. situation; circumstance; plight: Mine is a sad case.
5. a person or thing whose plight or situation calls for attention: This family is a hardship case.
6. a specific occurrence or matter requiring discussion, decision, or investigation, as by officials or law-enforcement authorities: The police studied the case of the missing jewels.
7. a stated argument used to support a viewpoint: He presented a strong case against the proposed law.
8. an instance of disease, injury, etc., requiring medical or surgical attention or treatment; individual affliction: She had a severe case of chicken pox.
9. a medical or surgical patient.
10. Law.
a. a suit or action at law; cause.
b. a set of facts giving rise to a legal claim, or to a defense to a legal claim.
11. Grammar.
a. a category in the inflection of nouns, pronouns, and adjectives, noting the syntactic relation of these words to other words in the sentence, indicated by the form or the position of the words.
b. a set of such categories in a particular language.
c. the meaning of or the meaning typical of such a category.
d. such categories or their meanings collectively.
12. Informal. a peculiar or unusual person: He's a case.

Haha. This should grace the front page. I'm tired of explaining to people that this isn't MY site and the title isn't a play on my name. And I hate being called "Case."

What term would you use instead? In your face? Point proven. Case in point XD.

Oh my....this is too funny. Bcuz i was just texting my now exboyfriends annoying exgirlfriend/babymother. I used the term "point in case" in the message i sent and i freaked out...bcuz i dont want her to think i'm an idiot (even though i am :-) When i reread the message i thought isnt it supposed to be "case in point" thats what everyone else says. But as i was typing the message "point in case" seemed so much righter (or should i say more correct). Well at least i'm not the only one who feels this way...i love the internet.

Thank you for the insight. I will still use the original term. I was just checking to see if i was using it the correct way, since English is not my mother's tongue. I am currently writing an introduction to a book.
BTW. Do you believe that using mother and tongue in the same sentence should be outlawed? How about the government confiscating the the word "Mongols"? Please help!

court your a douche. The saying originated as case in point because it is correct, you think your dumbass, with your ridiculous half-arguments are going to change that. oh, and you forgot the other 89 definitions listed on dictionary.com for the word point. you plebeian, retarded fool.

p.s. you're a douche. Read your article to understand this; It proves my case, in point form.

And to prove my case in many points:

1. a sharp or tapering end, as of a dagger.
2. a projecting part of anything: A point of land juts into the bay.
3. a tapering extremity: the points of the fingers.
4. something having a sharp or tapering end: a pen point.
5. a pointed tool or instrument, as an etching needle.
6. a stone implement with a tapering end found in some Middle and Upper Paleolithic and Mesolithic cultures and used primarily for hunting.
7. a mark made with or as if with the sharp end of something: Her sharp heels left points in the carpet.
8. a mark of punctuation.
9. period (def. 15).
10. See under decimal fraction.
11. Phonetics. a diacritic indicating a vowel or other modification of sound.
12. one of the embossed dots used in certain systems of writing and printing for the blind.
13. something that has position but not extension, as the intersection of two lines.
14. a place of which the position alone is considered; spot: We're leaving for Chicago and points west.
15. any definite position, as in a scale, course, etc.: the boiling point.
16. (in acupuncture) a particular spot on the body at which a needle may be inserted, as to relieve pain.
17. Navigation. any of 32 separate horizontal directions, 11° 15′ apart, as indicated on the card of a compass or gauged with reference to the heading of a vessel.
18. Nautical. point of sailing.
19. a degree or stage: frankness to the point of insult.
20. a particular instant of time: It was at that point that I told him he'd said enough.
21. a critical position in a course of affairs: Morale had reached a low point.
22. a decisive state of circumstances: He reached the point where he could no longer pay his debts.
23. the important or essential thing: the point of the matter.
24. the salient feature of a story, epigram, joke, etc.: to miss the point.
25. a particular aim, end, or purpose: He carried his point.
26. a hint or suggestion: points on getting a job.
27. a single or separate article or item, as in an extended whole; a detail or particular: the fine points of a contract.
28. an individual part or element of something: noble points in her character.
29. a distinguishing mark or quality, esp. one of an animal, used as a standard in stockbreeding, judging, etc.
30. points,
a. the extremities of an animal, esp. a horse or dog.
b. Railroads, British. a switch.
31. a single unit, as in counting.
32. a unit of count in the score of a game: Our team won by five points.
33. (in craps) the number that must be thrown to win but not including 7 or 11 on the first roll: Your point is 4.
34. Ice Hockey. either of two positions, to the right or left of the goal, to which an attacking defenseman is assigned, usually in the execution of a power play, to help keep the puck in the attacking zone.
35. Basketball. a position in the front court, usually taken by the guard in charge of setting up the team's offense.
36. Cricket.
a. the position of the fielder who plays a short distance in front of and to the offside of the batsman.
b. the fielder playing this position.
37. Chiefly Boxing. the end or tip (of the chin).
38. Hunting.
a. the action of a hunting dog that indicates the presence and location of game by standing rigid and directing its head toward the game.
b. the position taken by a hunting dog in pointing game.
39. a branch of an antler of a deer: an eight-point buck.
40. Sports. a cross-country run.
41. one of the narrow tapering spaces marked on a backgammon board.
42. Education. a single credit, usually corresponding to an hour's class work per week for one semester.
43. Electricity.
a. Also called breaker point. either of a pair of contacts tipped with tungsten or platinum that make or break current flow in a distributor, as in an automobile.
b. British. an outlet or socket.
44. Commerce.
a. a unit of price quotation, as in the U.S., one dollar in stock transactions, one hundredth of a cent in cotton and coffee, or one cent in oil, grain, pork, etc.: The price of stock went up two points today.
b. (esp. in motion pictures) a percentage point, usually of the gross profits, granted to someone who agrees to invest or otherwise participate in a business project: The star of the movie recieved a million dollar guarantee and five points.
45. one percent of the face value of a loan, esp. a mortgage loan, added on as a placement fee or a service charge and paid in advance or upon closing of the loan.
46. Jewelry. a unit of weight equal to 1/100 of a carat.
47. Military.
a. a patrol or reconnaissance unit that goes ahead of the advance party of an advance guard, or follows the rear party of the rear guard.
b. the stroke in bayonet drill or combat.
48. Printing.
a. a unit of type measurement equal to 0.013835 inch ( 1/72 inch), or 1/12 pica. Compare Didot point system.
b. Also called press-point. (in a press) one of several metal prongs for perforating the sheet so that it will be in register when the reverse is printed.
49. a unit of measure of paper or card thickness, equal to 0.001 inch.
50. vaccine point.
51. point lace.
52. any lace made by hand.
53. Heraldry. one of the pendent parts of a label.
54. Railroads.
a. the vertex of the angle formed at a frog by two rails; the intersection of gauge lines in a switch or frog.
b. British. a tapering movable rail, as in a railroad switch.
55. (in the game of go) any place where lines intersect or meet.
56. act of pointing.
57. Archaic. a tagged ribbon or cord, formerly much used in dress, as for tying or fastening parts.
58. Obsolete. an end or conclusion.
59. Obsolete. a pointed weapon, as a dagger.
60. Obsolete. condition.
–verb (used with object)
61. to direct (the finger, a weapon, the attention, etc.) at, to, or upon something.
62. to indicate the presence or position of (usually fol. by out): to point out an object in the sky.
63. to direct attention to (usually fol. by out): to point out the advantages of a proposal.
64. to furnish with a point or points; sharpen: to point a lead pencil.
65. to mark with one or more points, dots, or the like.
66. Sculpture. to transfer measurements of depth from a clay, wax, or plaster model to (a block of stone) by means of an apparatus that drills holes to the required depth prior to carving.
67. to punctuate, as writing.
68. Phonetics. to mark (letters) with points.
69. to separate (figures) by dots or points (usually fol. by off).
70. to give greater or added force to (often fol. by up): to point up the necessity for caution.
71. Hunting. (of a hunting dog) to indicate the presence and location of (game) by standing rigid and facing toward the game.
72. Masonry.
a. to fill the joints of (brickwork, stonework, etc.) with mortar or cement treated in various ways with tools after application.
b. to dress the surface of (a stone) with a pointed tool.
73. to dress (a stone) with a point.
74. Metalworking.
a. to narrow the end of (a rod) for passing through the dies of a drawbench.
b. to narrow the end of (a tube) over the head of a pin that is gripped to pull the tube through the dies of a drawbench.
–verb (used without object)
75. to indicate position or direction, as with the finger.
76. to direct the mind or thought in some direction; call attention to: Everything points to his guilt.
77. to aim.
78. to have a tendency toward something: Economic conditions point to further inflation.
79. to have a specified direction: The sign pointed west.
80. to face in a particular direction, as a building.
81. Hunting. (of a hunting dog) to point game.
82. Nautical. to sail close to the wind.
83. (of an abscess) to come to a head.
—Idioms
84. at, on, or upon the point of, on the verge of; close to: on the point of death.
85. at this point in time, now; at this precise moment in history: At this point in time the President believes peace has been achieved.
86. in point, that is pertinent; applicable: a case in point.
87. in point of, as regards; in reference to: in point of fact.
88. make a point of, to regard as important; insist upon: She made a point of complimenting her friend's apartment.
89. make points with, Informal. to curry favor with: to make points with one's boss. Also, make Brownie points with.
90. strain or stretch a point, to depart from the usual procedure or rule because of special circumstances; make a concession or exception: Though the position required three years of previous experience, and he had only two, they stretched a point because of his outstanding record.
91. to the point, pertinent; fitting: The reply was short and to the point.

Perhaps it means case in point form? ie the example given is a point that confirms the case. Or is that just too logical? lol

You are trully an idiot, and people as stupid as you should not be allowed to procreate.

I like your reasoning about points and cases.
At first I used to mix up "a point in case"/"a case in point". Then there came a time when I understood that "case" is "an instance/situation" and "in point" means "pertinent to the situation in discussion" and that way I realized that only "a case in point" is right.

I definitely agree with alex_me. In the same way that this "argument in question" should not be stated as "question in argument." This is a complete and utter nonsense.

I think the issue you're having with "case in point" is that you're treating the two words, or at least one of them, fairly analogously. Alternatively, you're having an issue in doing this. I'm not sure which.

I can understand the perspective of having a case, which is to say, an argument, and trying to prove it using points, which is to say, examples; from this way of looking at it, it would appear to be points in a case, like your analogy of an arrowhead inside a museum. As such, "case in point" might seem to be totally backwards.

What's really happening, however, is that the case is not the argument. A speaker (or writer) is trying to make a point; this is his argument. He brings up cases, which is to say, examples, to try to illustrate his point. Thus, a case in point. It's still an arrowhead inside of a museum. We're just calling it a stone relic inside of a building.

To be honest, I could use either one, but as "case in point" is the accepted vernacular, I'll be sticking to that one.

I like how people feel compelled to post entire dictionary entries, and they some how feel that this proves that they are right.

they're two different statements:
case in point - the justification of the argument(case) all in one particular reason(point)

point in case - "the point i'm trying to make is all in that one instance"

why does it matter if it's the accepted order of words? if it makes sense in one way or another (like "point in case"), then it's fine. you don't have to go off on the guy. and if you do, use you're instead of your. i really hope you know the difference.

This was very helpful in the debate a just had, thanks a bunch!

This is great.. I was explaining this in-person just now to someone after they corrected my usage of the term. Annoyed, a keyword search for *anyone on Earth* that was also making this argument yielded... you. Cheers! (o;

Dude, it's "case in point" for the very reasons you discussed in the last paragraph. I don't understand why everybody in hung up on "cases" and "points" when the real confusion here is over the word "in." All the "point in case" advocates want to imagine that the phrase is a condensed, awkward sentence in and of itself--as if to say "(my) point (is illustrated) in (this) case." The problem is that "in point" is to be read together to mean relevant/pertinent/etc.--the "in" here is not used in the same way that it would be if we were talking about arrowheads in glass cases (i.e., spatially). The phrase "case in point" means "an example, relevant to what we were talking about."

2010's calling, the CiP blog would like to have a word for you.

necroposting to put in my 2 cents

I've always considered "case in point" to mean something along the lines of "my case (or argument) is made by this point (example)"

Always made sense to me that way...

I've always got objections to using the idiom; Point in Case. People always telling me that its the other way around...

Great clarification!

Potato Potato!!!

isn't the true saying "case and point"?

to our broken raped and corrupted American English language and for those without education, the modern phrase should be " Case by point!"