noun General Slang

Idiot Stick

· noun · construction

A non-contact voltage tester — pen-shaped, beeps near live wires.

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Definitions

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Electrician slang for a non-contact voltage tester — the pen-sized gadget that lights up and chirps when you wave it near a live conductor. Called an idiot stick because (a) any idiot can use one and (b) trusting it blindly will make an idiot of you. Notorious for false positives on ghost voltage and the occasional terrifying false negative, which is why old sparkies always confirm with a meter.

“Idiot stick says it's hot but the meter reads zero — probably picking up the feed from next door.”
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Older general-labour usage: a shovel or pickaxe. Same logic as goon spoon — the tool you hand to someone who doesn't need training to use it.

“Foreman handed me an idiot stick and pointed at the spoil pile.”
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Idiot Stick In A Sentence

Idiot stick says it's hot but the meter reads zero — probably picking up the feed from next door.
Foreman handed me an idiot stick and pointed at the spoil pile.

Origin & Usage

Variants liar stick
Tags #construction#electrician#tools#trades

People Also Ask

What is an Idiot Stick?

It's a non-contact voltage tester — a pen-shaped tool that beeps when held near live wires.

How do you use Idiot Stick in a sentence?

An electrician might say 'Run the idiot stick over it before you touch anything'.

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