stick-and-string

Updated: July 19, 2026

Moorshed drew out a folded map, cut from a newspaper, of the area of manoeuvres, with the rules that regulate these wonderful things, below. "Well, I suppose I know as much as an average stick-and-string admiral," he said, yawning. "Is our petticoat ready yet, Mr. Pyecroft?" As a preparation for naval manoeuvres these councils seemed inadequate.

Rudyard Kipling - Traffics and Discoveries