Long stand
Appearance
"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.