Properly is a very loose term. It is common in speech and literature to use it to mean "an exception so rare that by virtue of it's rarity it strengthens the ge

Properly is a very loose term. It is common in speech and literature to use it to mean "an exception so rare that by virtue of it's rarity it strengthens the general rule". If we are going by wikipedia definitions, then: "A rural village is "always" quiet. A local farmer rents his fields to a rock festival, which disturbs the quiet. In this example, saying "the exception proves the rule" is literally incorrect, but it is used to draw attention to the rarity of the exception, and to establish the status of the village prior to the exceptional event. "