clue-by-four
[Usenet: portmanteau, clue + two-by-four] The notional stick
with which one whacks an aggressively clueless person. This term
derives from a western American folk saying about training a mule
"First, you got to hit him with a two-by-four. That's to get his
attention." The clue-by-four is a close relative of the LART. Syn. `clue stick'. This metaphor is
commonly elaborated; your editor once heard a hacker say "I
strike you with the great sword Clue-Bringer!"