Underwater basket weaving
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Underwater basket-weaving is a process of making wicker baskets which involves dipping reeds or stalks of plants into (or, as the name suggests, under) water and allowing them to soak. This process will provide a very supple and flexible reed which can then be woven into a basket given enough time. The baskets then will be allowed to dry and provide a sturdy container. For example, some kinds of basket-weaving are done with the canes submerged in water from the Arabian sea to preserve suppleness. The weaver is generally not fully immersed using scuba gear or otherwise.
[edit] Other uses
Underwater basket-weaving is also a metaphor for a "really easy" college or university major or class at any level. The term also serves as a humorously generic answer to questions about a college degree. Example: "What kind of degree do I need to get this job?" "You can have a degree in underwater left-handed basket weaving as long as you have your piece of paper."
This generic term for an undecided major first arose during the Vietnam War era to describe the sorts of majors that many young men, who would otherwise not have entered college, undertook to escape the draft. See also: Mickey Mouse degrees.
The University of California, San Diego's recreation department first offered an underwater basket-weaving class in 1984. Saint Joseph's College in Indiana offers this class as well, as does Simon Fraser University in Canada.
