# Old-fashioned classroom question (To Sir With Love) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 5, 2008, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-fashioned-classroom-question-to-sir-with-love/451829 "2008-06-05T02:55:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2008, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-fashioned-classroom-question-to-sir-with-love/451829/1 "2008-06-05T02:55:34Z")
In the movie _To Sir With Love_ (1967), in the middle of Sidney Portier’s big “new rules” scene, he takes something on a white cord, fairly thin, and throws it in the trash. (In the beginning of the scene he throws a pile of schoolbooks likewise in the trash, so clearly this seems to be another symbol of the “old order”, now useless.) What is it? There seems to be a fair amount of cord - several loops. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2008, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-fashioned-classroom-question-to-sir-with-love/451829/2 "2008-06-05T03:03:49Z")
I wouldn’t know. This was after my time. Old-fashioned classroom, sheesh. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2008, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-fashioned-classroom-question-to-sir-with-love/451829/3 "2008-06-05T03:54:04Z")
The classroom in question is clearly “old fashioned”, meaning out of date, for the film as well. ETA - I should have mentioned, it’s also British.