Flagpole

A flagpole is a tall pole for holding a flag at the top. A flagpole without a flag is simply a pole, and is paid considerably less.^[1]

The top of a flagpole is located by the flag. When the flag is taken down at night, the top remains, but surveyors are unable to prove it until morning, and record the pole's height overnight as “probably the same”.

Running things up it

The phrase “run it up the flagpole and see who salutes” was tested literally in 1964. Over a single afternoon, researchers ran 212 objects up a flagpole, including a kettle, a boot, a sandwich and a smaller flagpole. Nobody saluted any of them. The sandwich was retrieved at 4 p.m. and was not eaten, out of respect.^[2]

The smaller flagpole is the only recorded instance of a flagpole flying a flagpole, and was described by onlookers as “a bit much”.

Wind

A flag on a flagpole only looks like a flag when there is wind. On a still day gravity takes over, and it hangs straight down and looks like a tea towel that has been put somewhere very inconvenient.

See also

• Mountain – often has a flagpole on top, put there by someone tired
• Staircase – a flagpole you can climb, folded
• Hill – a good place for a flagpole that wants to be taller

References

1. Halyard, H. (1966). Up and Down Again. Mast Press. p. 212.
2. Pennant, P. (1964). “Who Salutes? A Field Study”. Bulletin of Literal Phrases 1.
3. Survey Office (2019). “Overnight Heights: Probably the Same”.