dipstick

dipstick
(DIP.stik)
v.
To take the measure of a person or a situation. Also: dip-stick.
Example Citation:
In public, Secretary Powell, the four-star-general-turned-diplomat, has done what he always does: soldier on, shaping his commander's policies as best he can from within, with some success. In private, Secretary Powell, an amateur automotive mechanic, complains that old friends spend too much time sympathetically taking his temperature — "dip-sticking me," as he puts it.
— Todd S. Purdum, "Embattled, Scrutinized, Powell Soldiers On," The New York Times, July 25, 2002
Earliest Citation:
What most educators mean by "doing Madeline Hunter" is using her seven-step approach to planning a lesson. In Santa Barbara, as in most of her road shows, several hours are devoted to spelling out this technique, which calls for specific acts of review, introduction, explanation, "modeling" (demonstrating), "dipsticking" (checking for understanding), "monitored practice" and independent study.
— David L. Kirp, "The classroom according to Hunter," Los Angeles Times, August 12, 1990
Notes:
The metaphor underlying today's word is the classic automotive oil check. Car engines contain a dipstick, a long, thin piece of metal that reaches down into the sump where the car's oil resides at rest. To check the oil, you remove the dipstick, wipe off the oil, and reinsert the dipstick as far as it will go. You then remove the dipstick once again. A bit of oil will cling to the end of the dipstick, where there are markings that indicate oil level. By comparing the oil to the markings you can determine if you need to add oil to the car.
So, since it seems to be the destiny of all nouns to eventually turn into verbs, dipstick has acquired today's meaning. (If you grew up in the sixties or seventies, then you probably know the slang meanings of dipstick, only one of which is suitable for a family publication such as this(!): a stupid or offensive person.)
Somewhat surprisingly, the verbing of dipstick occurred in the classroom. Teachers dipstick their children, which means asking questions about the current lesson as they go along. If the students consistently answer the questions correctly, then the teacher can assume that the lesson isn't going too fast or over the students' heads.
The earliest citation refers to this technique and hints that the term was coined by education theorist Madeline Hunter.
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • dipstick — n. a graduated rod dipped into a container to indicate the fluid level; as, to check the oil level in a car with a dipstick. [WordNet 1.5] || …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • dipstick — ► NOUN 1) a graduated rod for measuring the depth of a liquid, especially oil in an engine. 2) informal a stupid or inept person …   English terms dictionary

  • dipstick — [dip′stik΄] n. a graduated metal rod for measuring the depth of a substance in its container, as of oil in a crankcase …   English World dictionary

  • Dipstick — A schematic diagram of an average diagnostic dipstick A dipstick is one of several measurement devices. Some dipsticks are dipped into a liquid to perform a chemical test or to provide a measure of quantity of the liquid. In the late 20th century …   Wikipedia

  • dipstick — The metal rod that passes into the oil sump it is used to determine the quantity of oil in the engine. The oil level is marked on the rod and matches level indicators on the rod. Dipsticks are used to check engine oil and transmission fluid. In… …   Dictionary of automotive terms

  • dipstick — noun a) A stick or rod used to measure the depth of a liquid. Often used to check the level at which a liquid in an invisible tank stands; gauge. I havent checked the oil level of my cars motor since I lost the dipstick three months ago. b) …   Wiktionary

  • dipstick — UK [ˈdɪpˌstɪk] / US noun [countable] Word forms dipstick : singular dipstick plural dipsticks 1) a long stick used for measuring the oil in a car s engine 2) offensive a stupid or annoying person …   English dictionary

  • dipstick —    ‘Dip’ has long meant a pickpocket in criminal slang, but from the 1920s, in American slang, it took on the new meanings of stupid or eccentric person, the equivalent of ‘jerk’ or ‘nut’. To emphasize the contempt of the speaker for the person… …   A dictionary of epithets and terms of address

  • dipstick — n A stupid or foolish person. The dipstick has her dress on backwards. 1960s …   Historical dictionary of American slang

  • dipstick — Idiot, moron, stupid person. He knew the ice on the lake was only an inch thick. But the dipstick walked on it and fell through, anyway! …   Dictionary of american slang

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