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Golden RivetIn naval folklore there is the concept that every ship is built containing a single, commemorative "golden rivet". The rivets location is different for each ship and undisclosed, known only to the crew. Of course no such thing (ordinarily) exists; like many urban legends the "golden rivet" is perpetuated for the amusement of "old salts" at the expense of the gullible. Most often the myth is used as a practical joke or snipe hunt against junior sailors, playing on their naivety (or scepticism) and natural curiosity with their new surroundings. The prank consists of informing a newbie sailor of the existence of the "golden rivet", and encouraging him to look for it. After scouring the entire ship without success, it eventually dawns on the junior that he has been the butt of a joke. A crueller addition to the gag has a senior sailor calling attention to the rivet somewhere in the deck plating; then as the junior bends over to look at it, he is given a stiff kick (or worse) in the backside. Sometimes the snipe hunt is dispensed with althogether, with the senior sailor merely pointing to a spot on the deck and inviting the junior examine at it. As navies around the world are increasingly the target of criticism regarding victimisation, the "golden rivet" gag can be seen as a fairly harmless form of "initiation". To be in search of the golden rivet refers to a situation where one is sent on a hopeless cause; a fool's errand. Other steel structures said to contain a golden rivet include the Forth Rail Bridge and the Empire State Building.
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