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“Case in point” is an idiom used to provide a specific example in speech or writing. It comes from the Anglo-Norman idiom “en point” meaning “relevant”. The phrase is often used in the middle of a speech to illustrate a point and can be introduced in various ways.
“Case in point” is a specific example used in speech to illustrate a point or serve as a statement or demonstration of a point. It is used in a variety of modes of speech, from oratory and rhetoric to scientific studies and journal articles. The term is used in speech and writing as a connecting phrase between the idea and the example itself.
The phrase is an idiom related to “in point of fact”. An idiom is a non-literal clause phrase that derives meaning from two or more ordinary words. “Case in point” contains an older idiom “in point” which is considered a fossil idiom. This is similar to a fossil word, as it only appears within another idiom. Other examples of fossil words include “further” in “second grounds” and “kith” in “kith and kin.”
“In point” comes from the Anglo-Norman idiom en point, which means “on point”, or more literally, “relevant”. It probably comes from putting the point of a dagger, knife or sword exactly where it needs to be. In 1659, Thomas Burton used the term in a description of Lord Fairfax’s political machinations.
Case comes from the Latin word casus, which means “random event.” It is commonly used by police to refer to an event they are investigating and is combined with history to refer to medical records. The “case in question” probably derives from a misunderstanding of Anglo-Norman. The original could have been ‘case en point’ or ‘en point case’, where a person was referring to a relevant example. It is probable that “en” was mispronounced like “in” and that the idiom changed before being combined with “case”.
Speech usually puts this phrase in the middle. The speech will open with an introduction of the topic, to then enrich the topic with a complete description. The example is introduced to illustrate the topic, relevant to the problem or solution. Speeches tend to end with an analysis and a conclusion.
This example can be introduced in several ways. The simplest is the introduction of a line: “A is more effective than B; study C is a case in point.” Alternatively, the sentence will be introduced briefly, then expanded upon. If so, “study C” will then provide testimonials, details, and statistics to back up the point the speaker or writer is trying to make.
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