Yesterday, I went to my local hospital's physio department to enquire about buying a walking stick. I asked if the ones they sold were telescopic, and was told, "no, you push a button to pull it out or in, making it shorter or longer." Was my inward smirking justified, or was I being unduly harsh in my assessment of that response?

Dear sjm: It used to be fairly common to have a sword hidden in a walking stick. Maybe a
walking stick could have a telescope built into it. Great for spying on the neighbors, or
lovers' lane.
I can see merit in a collapsing, extensible walking stick only if no weight were going to be
put on it. Get a solid one, and make your batman carry it for you until you need it.

ICBB looking up the "correct" definition of telescopic, but I feel the need to add MHO.

Most people would understand telescopic (as used) to describe ... something akin in appearance to a stereotypical mariner's telescope. That is, possessing the physical property of lengthening and shortening by intussusception (for want of a better, less medical word). The small bit goes inside a bigger bit, repeatedly. To me, asking if a walking stick was telescopic means you have the desire to collapse it down and store it in a bag, briefcase, or other area of limited space. Which unto itself is quite a nice idea but would probably interfere with the reliability of the stick, unless you were willing to fork out the big bucks. If this is what you were after then the response is perfectly valid. Many walking sticks are adjustable, with different length options, depending on patient size and comfort. If this property was the issue of your enquiry then, IMHO, using telescopic to mean merely adjustable is somewhat obfuscating.

>If this property was the issue of your enquiry then, IMHO, using telescopic to mean merely adjustable is somewhat obfuscating.

That's what I was after, thanks, although M-W does suggest that my use of the word was at least not incorrect.

Well, Mr. Steed, methinks you've seen one too many Avengers espisodes. And just what are you planning to pack your telescopic walking stick with, hmmmm?

http://ausoaps.mybravenet.com/pjx/drawings/ralph fiennes/Ralph as mr steed.jpg

http://image.pathfinder.com/ew/features/980123/gambles/images/avengers.jpg

I have heard of walking sticks being made out of bull's penises, but they're not that long, surely?

Bingley

For the record:

Quick definitions (intussusception)


noun: (biology) growth in the surface area of a cell by the deposit of new particles between existing particles in the cell wall
noun: the folding in of an outer layer so as to form a pocket in the surface~Onelook.com


...just in case anybody would like to keep that word tucked away in case you ever need it for 'want of' another word.

Clinically, WW, it is one portion of the intestine telescoping into the adjacent part and causing an obstruction. (Tube into tube). OH dear, am in a dreadful hurry. Shll come back here to clarify if someone else does not by then.

Edit: This post now, seems self explanatory. I might be restating the obvious by explaining further. FWIW, An intussusception is an acute abdominal condition wherein one length of the intestine folds in of itself and telescopes (collapses into/ gets sucked into)into the adjacent normal part. In the process, both obstruction and strangulation occur. Common in small children.