ten-second rule
Dropped snack grace
The ten-second rule is an informal guideline that food dropped on the floor remains safe to eat if retrieved within ten seconds.
The actual time varies by telling—some say five seconds, some three.
The rule has no scientific basis; contamination begins on contact.
I dropped my chip but invoked the ten-second rule.
Breaking of rules
- backcourtHalf nearest own basket
- inboundsWithin legal playing area
- possessionState of owning
- turnoverSales volume or attrition
referee · shot clock · play clock · free throw · sideline · baseline · dribbling · passing
Nucleus-free single-celled organisms
- germsMicroscopic disease agents
- contaminationIntroduction of impurities
- floorIndoor walking surface
- microbesMicroscopic living organisms
pathogens · sanitation · cleanliness · foodborne · cross-contamination · dirt · dust · surface
Unverified viral story
- misconceptionErroneous belief or understanding
- folkloreInherited cultural narratives
- superstitionBaseless belief in omens
- debunkedExposed as fraudulent
pseudoscience · old wives tale · belief · fallacy · fiction · untruth · misbelief · popular myth
violation
Breaking of rules
- backcourtHalf nearest own basket
- inboundsWithin legal playing area
- possessionState of owning
turnover · referee · shot clock · play clock · free throw · sideline · baseline · dribbling · passing · time limit
bacteria
Nucleus-free single-celled organisms
- germsMicroscopic disease agents
- contaminationIntroduction of impurities
- floorIndoor walking surface
microbes · pathogens · sanitation · cleanliness · foodborne · cross-contamination · dirt · dust · surface · pickup
urban legend
Unverified viral story
- misconceptionErroneous belief or understanding
- folkloreInherited cultural narratives
- superstitionBaseless belief in omens
debunked · pseudoscience · old wives tale · belief · fallacy · fiction · untruth · misbelief · popular myth · junk science
- basketball rulespersonal foul, technical foul, traveling, double dribble, carrying
- basketball termspoint guard, shooting guard, dribble, assist, turnover
ten-second rulebetter safe than sorry
Prudence over risk
germaphobia · sterile technique · err on the side of caution
second, rule, tens, seconds, secondly, rules, ruled, ruling, ruler