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It’s another Thingamajig Thursday. From aglets, which, thanks to reader Bill, are now called fleugelbinders (love it!), we turn to those red flashlight-looking things you see the grounds crews use for directing airplane traffic on the tarmac. You’ve probably also seen them used at busy intersections when a traffic cop has to stand in for a malfunctioning traffic light, or when a road is closed.
So what are they? Well, they seem to go by a couple different names, especially in the U.K., but most contain the word wand in there somewhere. Safety Wands are your more generic types, the orange ones that sometimes emit a solid light, and sometimes flash on and off.
But because the crews on the tarmac who help bring the plane in are actually called marshals, another common name, and the one I prefer, is Marshalling Wand. Some companies even make them in many different colors like yellow, green, and blue. There are now much brighter LED versions, as well, that outlive traditional bulbs by years and are quite popular in the U.K., where, as you know if you’ve ever visited, it’s always foggy, grey, drizzling or hazy.
So how about a new name for these thingamajigs? We can do better than marshalling or safety wand, can’t we?
Hmmm, when I first saw the title, I thought it said marshmallow wands (it’s 6:30 am, ok?). I’m thinking marshmallow wand sounds much more exciting than marshal wand, if not exactly a good description.
posted by nutmeag on 6-12-2008 at 6:32 am
Air Force airmen in basic training at Lackland AFB use something similar, dubbed the “Lackland Laser.” Essentially a flashlight with a yellow cone over the top.
posted by snarkypants on 6-12-2008 at 7:31 am
I agree with nutmeag….. but sadly I must admit it’s not 6:30am here it’s 9:00am.
posted by Agrees with nutmeag on 6-12-2008 at 8:07 am
They are force wands.
1) They look like mini lightsabers
2) They have the force power to move aircrafts, which Luke couldn’t do in Empire.
(This may be a repost, my computer is being lame)
posted by Zach on 6-12-2008 at 8:55 am
My high school dance team performs an annual homecoming routine using these wands. We turn off the lights and dance(flashing the wands off and on) to techno music. Its always a crowd pleaser.
posted by Hananh on 6-12-2008 at 10:43 am
Flash Finders or Directionalizers
posted by hananh on 6-12-2008 at 10:45 am
The brits are my heroes when it comes to naming devices. I’m going to suggest “wandernots”, because these are designed to control heading and velocity. The incorporation of “wand” is purely coincidental.
In another 10 to 15 years, this would be corrupted to “wondernots” and then “wonderknots”, and of course “wondern*ts” in GI-speak.
posted by Tom on 6-12-2008 at 10:52 am
Is it just my eyes or does the guy´s vest flash on and off? Official time is now 10:58 AM and I have just stared at the flashing vest for about 5 min. I really dont want to work today…
On to the actual topic, I like the FORCE wands. You could also call them “GO TOWARDS THE LIGHT WANDS” but then again I might just be on Ghost Whisperer overkill.
posted by GTT on 6-12-2008 at 11:04 am
Ha! His vest is blinking!
posted by Johnny Cat on 6-12-2008 at 1:24 pm
Tarmac Twinklers
Thisaways
Followmeboyz
posted by Judy on 6-12-2008 at 2:38 pm
I’m thinkin’ blinky-ma-bobbers…’cause they blink…and in the dark they’d look like they bobbed.
Thusly, blinky-ma-bobbers.
posted by EEB on 6-12-2008 at 2:38 pm
At my job we call them night wands….
posted by Chung on 6-12-2008 at 4:45 pm
I also opened this post because I thought it was something about marshmallows…
In NZ (and I believe the UK as well), flashlights are called “torches”! Torches!
So, I think ‘torch’ should be in the name somewhere! It just sounds cool.
posted by Dawn on 6-12-2008 at 6:06 pm
Flermbogs.
posted by Pointy-Hatted Geek on 6-12-2008 at 7:41 pm
I’ll go with the reCapcha-inspired: Schindler whether
It just sounds cool
posted by PartiallyDeflected on 6-12-2008 at 8:18 pm
Going on the ideas of Zach and Dawn, I think they should be called a “force torch.”
posted by Forest on 6-19-2008 at 3:11 pm