Club409 - Unmastery of words

Drew

Total posts: 5115

3/7/2008 8:56 AM

This article mentions "carrot and a stick" incentives. This is the second time I've heard it. I always thought people meant "carrot on a stick" incentives like you sit on a horse and hang a carrot on a stick in front of them so they walk forward but never get the carrot. So did the phrase get bastardized or do I not know how to use words?

Also how many of you are looking at this thread and saying to yourself "I could care less"? If you are stop saying that.

sophieD

Total posts: 36

3/7/2008 9:11 AM

Carrot on a stick makes me think of the carrot physically shoved onto the stick like when you roast a hot dog or marshmellow since it is commonly thought to be hanging from a stick carrot and a stick would be closer to carrot hanging from a stick then carrot on a stick. But that's just my personal opinion God knows I'm no English major.

acelxix

Total posts: 2398

3/7/2008 12:08 PM

"Carrot on a stick" seems more like snurdnurgaling (somehow I don't feel bad that I don't know how to spell that word) and I think "Carrot and a stick" doesn't quite capture the idea either though it sounds more like crossing swords. How about "carrot dangling precariously from stick" incentives or "carrot attached to end of stick using a string" incentives. Perhaps "just the tip" incentives.

uknowme

Total posts: 208

3/7/2008 7:48 PM

i prefer just the tip to either carrot on a stick or carrot and a stick. i also like guess who.

mike

Total posts: 2298

3/7/2008 8:03 PM

to be the loser who answers seriously I'd always heard it as 'carrot and stick' as in combining bribe and threat to the most effective ratio

SmoovB

Total posts: 1097

3/8/2008 4:48 AM

No Mike. We know you thought they were "things that might be go up your butt" which you took neither as a bribe nor a threat but an intriguing proposition.

uknowme

Total posts: 208

3/20/2008 11:30 AM

funny word in spanish