Explain put a sitck in the ground

[chibe_k]

What does "put a stick in the ground" mean ?

[Tdol]

Have you got the context? I have looked around and seen it used in a couple of ways. One was a fuller phrase about putting a stick in the ground and seeing it grow and the other seemed similar to drawing a line in the sand. It's not a phrase that I am familiar with.

[chibe_k]

The first time I heard about this phase was in a meeting. A guy was briefing about the progress he made in a project and he said something like "Well, lets find out from different groups what they think and we put a stick in the ground...." I guess it must be something related to setting a deadline on a project or something.....I don't know.

[Tdol]

It could be something to do with a deadline as a stick can measure time.

[BobK]

The first time I heard about this phase was in a meeting. A guy was briefing about the progress he made in a project and he said something like "Well, lets find out from different groups what they think and we put a stick in the ground...." I guess it must be something related to setting a deadline on a project or something.....I don't know.

It sounds, from that, as if it means what they call in the IT world 'set a baselevel' - it's a starting point for one phase of a project. A project will have a number of baselevels, and no advance in the project can be confirmed without running a suite of regression tests (which confirm that the new function does not accidentally compromise a function that was part of the previous baselevel).

I agree with Tdol though - it's not a phrase that I am familiar with.

b

[Casiopea]

There are three possible meanings:

1. To give something time <association, sundial>
2. To let something grow <association, tree>
3. To end something <association, game>

I found the following two examples for sense 3. Nothing yet for senses 1. and 2.

During any project there comes a time to draw a line in the sand and put a stick in the ground and say, 'This is it. We're ready,'... Source

"They've got to put a stick in the ground and say they're not going to be all things to all people,"... Source

Hope that helps, at least in some small way.

All the best.

[chibe_k]

That makes sense, to end something. Maybe what the guy meant in the meeting was to collect feedbacks from different groups and draw a conclusion at some point.

I wish the guy is still around that I could ask him "what exactly do you mean by put a stick.... ?

[Casiopea]

I wish the guy is still around that I could ask him "what exactly do you mean by put a stick.... ?

Me, too.

Correction
I wish the guy was/were still around so (that) I could ask him, "What exactly do you mean by put a stick in the ground?"

All the best.
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[chibe_k]

Why use past tense in the sentense "I wish the guy was/were still....." ? Can you please explain. Thanks!

[Casiopea]

The verb wish has historical baggage. It's compatible with subjunctive were, and at the present time in history it's starting to chum around with indicative was.

Counterfactual, contrary to fact: I wish he were
Actual, fact: I wish he was

Click here: INDICATIVE, SUBJUNCTIVE. The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993