h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

why do they (or perhaps just a lot fothe ones I notice) have the word DUCTILE stamped on them in big letters? What is so important about this for them? I mean I can understand that the hot iron in the forge is ductile, but as a lump of round metal one could hardly apply that description to them, and even if one can, why would one want to?

It means that when they come to the end of their useful life covering up holes in the ground, they can be recycled as wallcoverings in ducks' bathrooms.

RF

Maybe they're made by a company called 'Ductile'?

Makes sense...

Pedro's right.

It's a play on words: duct tile, i.e. a tile covering a duct.

It's also moderately relevant in that the opposite to ductile is brittle (ductile means it can be drawn into wires whereas malleable means it can be beaten into shape, brittle means it will shatter like glass). A brittle cover plate could shatter instantly if, say, a heavy object or vehicle was placed on it, while a ductile one would stretch and deform first giving some warning.

F

OK, well I just went outside again and it clearly states CLARKESTEEL on it as well which I would have thought was the name of the makers?
So nothing to do with the iron it is made from being ductile then?

OK, well Pedro wasn't quite right - it's more of a model name than the maker's name although in this case it's a range rather than just a model.

F

B*****s! Another one got away...