...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.

[thumbwitch]

what a jumpeduppantryboy said except that chances are you'd be in a cart behind the donkey, or walking behind the donkey as he was pulling the load that you needed taken somewhere.

Better to be behind the donkey so you can administer either incentive more easily (or indeed shove the carrot where the sun don't shine )

[aJumpedUpPantryBoy]

Surely you would sit on the donkey's back while holding a stick - teh carrot would dangle
fishing rod style in front of the donkey's nose and he would walk towards it

[Crazycatlady]

oh right, yes, very clever . In my mind I'm walking along next to my donkey. No idea why!

[EndangeredSpecies]

Just call me speesh, it's a crap user name anyway. Wish I was in a wine-induced coma also.

You can probably get head frames from which to attach the carrot. Or you could just not have a donkey and use a tractor.

[tethersend]

You would sit on the donkey's back in my mind, surely?

[Crazycatlady]

But you'd still have to walk along with the donkey while holding the stick-dangling-carrot surely?

Am dangling a cat toy species, nothing exciting, DH is in a wine induced coma

[EndangeredSpecies]

Dying to ask what you're dangling catlady.

But in answer to your question, I think string should do the trick.

[tethersend]

So you'd walk in front of the donkey for the whole journey? Doesn't that sort of defeat the point of getting the donkey to make the journey?

Much better to attach it to a stick like this

[Crazycatlady]

Yep just checked, I can definitely dangle things from my hand using just my fingers, no stick required

How would you attach a carrot to a stick?

[Vallhala]

Dangling. Definitely.

[tethersend]

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

[ThisIsSpatchcocked]

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!!

[thumbwitch]

[Crazycatlady]

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

[EndangeredSpecies]

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

[thumbwitch]

depends where you put the carrot I guess...

[Crazycatlady]

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

[EndangeredSpecies]

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.

[BertieBotts]

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

[Crazycatlady]

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?

[EndangeredSpecies]

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.

[thumbwitch]

fair enough

[Crazycatlady]

Wine induced generalisation

[loubielou31]

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?

[thumbwitch]

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.