Carrot on a stick
Carrot on a stick
in
This is about tempting, prodding, motivating, or luring someone into doing something. It is also referred to as: Dangling a carrot in front of someone.
She used the old carrot on a stick trick and promised her son some ice cream before she could get him to eat the spinach.
Compare to:
Carrot and stick.
History:
Some believe this has to do with mules: A carrot would be tied to a stick and held in front of a mule that was pulling a cart. Since mules like to eat carrots, this helped to make the mule move forward and pull the cart along.
Carrot and stick; Carrot or stick
in
This is about rewarding someone for doing something good, or threatening to punish them if they don’t. The carrot represents the reward, and the stick represents the threat.
She used the old carrot or stick trick with her son to get him to eat the spinach; Some ice cream tonight, or no ice cream for a week!
Compare to:
Carrot on a stick.
History:
Some believe this has to do with mules: There are two ways to get a mule move forward. Dangle a carrot in front of it, or hit it in the back with a stick.
