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"finger-in-the-water test"

Posted by Shae on July 27, 2003

In Reply to: "Finger-in-the-water test" posted by GPP on July 27, 2003

: A contemporary quotation from Northwestern US: "who often gave the finger in the water test for the indispensable man"--any idea what this signifies? (It's definitely meant to be complimentary, nothing like a finger in the air to see which way the wind is blowing.)

I'm guessing that it refers to the practice of testing the temperature of the water in a baby's bath using the finger. The temperature is ok if it feels just right. But what would this mere man know of such things?

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