jackstraws
/ˈdʒækstrɔːz/ · jack·straws
noun
- One of the thin wooden or plastic sticks used in the game of jackstraws (also called pick‑up‑sticks). She carefully lifted a jackstraw from the tangled pile without moving the others.
- An insignificant or unimportant person. In the bustling office, he felt like a jackstraw, unnoticed by his colleagues.
Did you know? The game of jackstraws was a favorite pastime in Tudor England, and the word once also described a simple wooden puppet used by street performers.