Aglet
From Free net encyclopedia
- Aglets is also a paradigm for building Java-based mobile agents
An aglet or aiglet is the little plastic or metal cladding on the end of shoelaces that keeps the twine from unraveling. The word comes from the latin word acus which means needle. In times past, aglets were usually made of metal though some were glass or stone. Many were highly ornamental, and made of precious metals such as silver. Before the invention of buttons, they were used on the ends of ribbons to fasten clothing together. Sometimes they would be formed into small figures. Shakespeare calls this type of figure an "aglet baby" in The Taming of the Shrew. Purely decorative metal ornaments called aigullette are sometimes features of modern military dress uniforms.
In modern times an aglet is frequently used as an example of a common object whose name is relatively unknown. Perhaps due to this, they are occasionally referenced in popular culture. According to the paranoid superhero The Question in Justice League Unlimited, their true purpose is sinister. According to characters from Achewood, aglets are a key ingredient in a drug called "Fool's Meth." The aglet is also mentioned in the 1988 movie, Cocktailwhere Tom Cruise's character called it a "flugelbinder".