Tomorrow is July 4th, which is the US is known as the Fourth of July. (Oh, right, it’s also called Independence Day.) It’s a day traditionally marked by fireworks and displays of flags. Lots and lots of flags.
Flags are often used as symbols of national and political identity, but this list isn’t about those. I figure that enough flag-waving of that sort will be going on tomorrow. Instead, I’ve lined up a few other types flags to wave around for this week’s ThThTh list.
- capture the flag: an informal game or sport, typically played outside. Two competing teams try to steal each other’s flags.
- flag someone down: an expression meaning to gets someone’s attention who is moving in order to get them to stop. Generally signalled by waving, though not necessarily by waving a flag.
- raise a red flag: an expression describing a situation when a person perceives that some action or event should be taken as a warning. As in “When the man showed up at the interview without pants, it raised a red flag as to the applicant’s suitability as a funeral director.”
- white flag: a symbol of truce or surrender. Wave the white flag (or raise the white flag) is also used metaphorically for signalling surrender or defeat.
- Black Flag: a punk band. For a quick sample, check out a video of their song “Wasted,” which clocks in under a minute long.
- Black Flag: a line of bug-killing products, the most famous of which is the Roach Motel.
- International Marine Signal Flags: flags representing letters and numbers that can be strung together and displayed on a ship to spell out messages.
- semaphore: a system of long-distance communication that commonly uses flags.
- Okay, I admit. This whole list is just a premise to share with you one of my all-time favorite acts of flag-waving: Monty Python’s brilliant production of Wuthering Heights in semaphore.
collecting tokens 
“Capture the Flag” used to elicit sheer terror in me during summer camp days. I was always the short, but kind of fast kid that my teammates would send on exploratory missions into enemy territory. I never did capture the dang old flag, either, but I did pee in my pants once. Terror, I tell you!
You always make me think, no small feat, I assure you.
That video cracked me up, especially the baby waving the flags…
Capture the flag = camp for me. And fun. :)
the video is awesome. somehow, i’ve never before seen in.
rima-
You know, I never actually played it. I never went to summer camp, but would spend summers mostly playing just with my sister. We made up our own games. Which were perhaps less terrifying, as I don’t remember peeing in my pants. At least while playing the games…
flutter-
Oh, goodness. Should I say sorry?
dragonfly-
Yeah, I liked the baby, too.
magpie-
How remarkable that you hadn’t seen it. I’m glad I could be the one to introduce you!