Meanings
plural clue sticks · alternative cluestick
- idiomaticA metaphorical stick used to beat information or understanding into a slow learner.
I think the author needs a good whack with the clue stick.
2009 April 6, William Hurley, “Does the cloud really need a manifesto?”, in InfoWorld, retrieved 14 Apr 20091 more example
Leadbetter needs to be thwacked with a legal clue stick. The law he's talking about applies only to Internet service providers, not reporters.
2003 October 10, Declan McCullagh, “My letter from the FBI”, in ZDNet, retrieved 14 Apr 2009Synonyms: cluebat, clue-by-four
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA metaphorical stick used to beat information or understanding into a slow learner.
Origin
Cite this entry
clue stick. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clue%20stick
“clue stick.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clue%20stick. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “clue stick,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clue%20stick.
Source: clue stick on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.