Fool's errand

A fool's errand is a prank where a new employee is sent to retrieve a non-existent tool or other item.

Examples

• A box of spots for the spot welder
• A left-handed screwdriver
• A roll of fallopian tube or umbilical cord
• A long weight (long wait)
• A board stretcher or cable stretcher
• Blinker fluid
• Piston return springs
• A box of spark plug sparks
• A wireless extension cord
• Spark plugs for a diesel engine
• Dehydrated water
• Striped paint
• A can of elbow grease
• A bucket of prop wash
• A roll of shoreline

Counterexamples

Some items that were once the subject of this prank have since been invented:

• WLAN or WiFi cables - some newer WiFi routers have antennas connected with cables
• A battery-powered outlet - self-contained battery-powered AC power sources are now available
• Light bulbs frosted on the inside - once considered impossible but now commonplace
• Exhaust fluid - many modern diesel engines use it