England. London region and the Greater London administrative area. London. A woman holds a plastic carott and pulls a person, dressed-up as a mule. . Carrot and stick (also "carrot or stick") is an idiom that refers to a policy of offering a combination of rewards and punishment to induce behavior. The mule would move towards the carrot because it wants the reward of food, while also moving away from the stick behind it, since it does not want the punishment of pain. A mule is the... more »