Carrot and Stick

[gmilam]

Apparently I have misunderstood this expression for the last 6o years. I always thought it represented the unobtainable goal. The carrot at the end of the stick always being just out of reach of the donkey. But lately I hear people using it as an analogy for reward or punishment.

Where does this expression come from? And which analogy does it represent?

 

[DaveC426913]

'Carrot on a stick' means being led to unattainable goal. Yeah. Confusing.

 

[billvon]

Where does this expression come from? And which analogy does it represent?

"Carrot on a stick" means a goal that you can't reach. Supposedly donkeys were led around this way, although I have my doubts.
"Carrot and stick" means reward and punishment. i.e. give the horse a carrot when he does well, hit him when he balks.

 

[Michael 345]

"Carrot on a stick" means a goal that you can't reach. Supposedly donkeys were led around this way, although I have my doubts.
"Carrot and stick" means reward and punishment. i.e. give the horse a carrot when he does well, hit him when he balks.

I've always taken the expression to be a carrot on the end of a stick dangling in front of a donkey pulling a cart, with farmer as passenger, who will walk (the desired outcome for the farmer) and will continue to do so as long as such said carrot remains in sight

Donkey to low on intelligence scale to figure out the carrot will always remain ahead

 

[gmilam]

I've always taken the expression to be a carrot on the end of a stick dangling in front of a donkey pulling a cart, with farmer as passenger, who will walk (the desired outcome for the farmer) and will continue to do so as long as such said carrot remains in sight

Donkey to low on intelligence scale to figure out the carrot will always remain ahead

That has always been my interpretation of the expression too. At least that's the image that has always come to my mind.

An analogy for an obtainable goal, or the false promise of reward.

 

[sculptor]

I've heard it used both ways.
Being 2 or 3 generations removed from our (non mechanized) agrarian past---we can only guess.

old joke
A farmer loads up his donkey and heads to the market town.
Along the way, he meets a left winger who shames him for forcing the poor beast to carry all while he walks peacefully along side.
So, he unloads the donkey and carries the load while the donkey walks peacefully along side of him.
And, he soon encounters a conservative fellow who says, "what are you? nuts? carrying all of that produce when you have a perfectly good beast of burden?
So, the farmer loads up the donkey again and proceeds along the road to town---
another left winger---farmer takes the burden upon hisself-
and then, while crossing a bridge, he meets another conservative---
and proceeds to start loading up the donkey again
By now, the poor donkey is completely confused and starts to panic
and in his panic, tumbles over the bridge railing and falls to his death in the ravine below
and
The moral of the story is
You can't please everyone, and if you try, you could loose your ass in the process.

 

[Michael 345]

At least that's the image that has always come to my mind.

I would go for - lazy farmer getting a reward (transport)