Long stand
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"Go find a long stand" is one form of a semi-functional practical joke played in blue-collar settings. The point of the joke is that no such thing exists, but a senior worker such as a mastertradesman will send an apprentice out to find such a "long stand". The prank may be played simply to have a laugh at the expense of the apprentice; to keep the apprentice occupied while the senior workers are too busy to supervise; or a combination of the two.
Sometimes the apprentice may quickly return without the long stand, in these circumstances it is customary to ask them to go back for a long weight.
The same prank is sometimes played by mischievous teachers on their pupils.
This prank works best in Supermarkets - where more than one staff member is involved - and the working area is large. The senior staff member will send the junior to another location in the shop(usually the back stores) to ask another senior for the long stand. The other senior who upon being asked for a long stand - will try to maintain a straight face and tell the junior to wait where they are while it is fetched from another location. The long stand is received when the junior realises that he has been standing in the same place for a long time for no purpose.
