...Carrot and/or stick?

[tethersend]

(Have also posted in pedants' corner)

I had always understood the phrase 'carrot and stick' to refer to the dangling of a carrot attached to a stick in front of a donkey in order to make him go faster; however, its common use seems to refer to a carrot or stick, whereby said donkey is rewarded with a carrot or beaten with a stick.

AIBU?

Which is it?

Please cast your votes, it's driving me fucking mental.

carrot dangling from the stick. never heard of the other version.

or for me - doesn't really make sense otherwise does it? Or does it?

I always thought it was the carrot dangling from a stick, and a stick to beat the donkey with as well.

I always thought it was the carrot dangling and the stick for beating- so combination of reward and punishment.

THere is a carrot/stick test that is used in management techniques as carrot or stick - to see whether you respond better to incentives or punishments. THat is how I always viewed it as well.

Carrot OR stick, i.e. reward for doing something rather than being bullied into doing something = carrot is more effective for long term behaviour change.

The debate has been confused from time to time by imagining one stick from which the carrot is dangled and another kept in reserve as a whip

Carrot AND stick:

adj.
Combining a promised reward with a threatened penalty: took a carrot-and-stick approach to the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders.

If it was carrot or stick the donkey would eat the carrot and then run away.

How would the donkey eat the carrot and run away? The idea is the carrot is always out of reach and they keep running towards it.

crazycatlady - that isn't necessarily true for everyone, that's why there is a test to see which method people respond better to (it doesn't actually involve carrots or sticks).
Most people will be a combination, some will be heavily inclined to the carrot end, others need more of the stick. You can't generalise it.

Carrot dangling or just being waved infront of the donkey, the incentive to walk forward being a reward of eating said carrot. Stick to beat the donkey the incentive to walk forward being not being beaten with the stick.
Do you encourage your child to tidy their toys away with the promise of an extra story if they do or the threat of giving them all to charity if they don't?

Wine induced generalisation

fair enough

yes bertie you are right, but carrot or stick just brings to mind someone standing in front of the donkey going "Carrot or stick?" and the donkey going "Carrot, you knob"

Haven't even been drinking.

See I had imagined a whole army of donkeys, some being encouraged to complete a set task with the promised reward of a carrot, and others being forced to do it with the threat of being beaten by a stick - the outcome being that the carrot was infinitely more successful than the stick. Or have I got it wrong?

Oh I see - I thought it was and anyway, not or.

I think catlady that the animal liberation front got wind of the experiment and replaced all the sticks with carrots thereby buggering up the experiment completely.

So it's carrots for everyone then? No sticks required. OP, you have your answer. 'Carrot'.

depends where you put the carrot I guess...

that adds a whole new dimension tw, hadn't thought of that.

True. Carrots can be quite frighteningly large too , but would be significantly less scratchy than a stick...

I have no idea but this bit...

If it was carrot or stick the donkey would eat the carrot and then run away.

had me laughing!!

But how do you promise a carrot to a donkey unless you dangle it in front of him? On a stick?

Dangling. Definitely.