The drill bit used in oil exploration is screwed
onto a 30-foot length of pipe. Water is sent
down the pipe as the bit turns in order to flush
the material up out of the hole. After they
drill down 30 feet, they add another 30-foot
joint, and so on. To facilitate the screwing
together of these joints they coat them with a
product that has the approximate consistency of
butter. It comes in five-gallon buckets and is
called "dope". The foreman overseeing this
operation is known as a "tool pusher", or
"pusher" for short.