[Ads-l] duck tape, antedated?
Rich Lowenthal
000018596069864c-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Sat May 17 23:52:15 UTC 2025
The New York Times wrote about the duct/duck issue in 1992, saying in
part:
(begin quote)
But as duct tape solves countless domestic problems, it creates one for
language. It's what linguists call a juncture problem. "Duct" ends in
"t" and "tape" begins with it; people tend to say "duck tape."
The term carries plausible connotations. Duct tape is rubbery, webbed
and waterproof. If it doesn't have anything to do with ducks, it seems
as though it should.
That's why Manco Tape Inc., aware that most folks now think of ducks
instead of ducts when they purchase the product, has trademarked the
name "Duck Tape." It packages the familiar gray tape with a bright label
and a cartoon duck that resembles one of Donald Duck's nephews dressed
for a weekend of home repair.
Thus does commerce infect language. Or does it? Manco executives point
out that the tape evolved from a waterproof material used to seal
ammunition boxes during World War II. It was made from a canvas-like
fabric commonly used in the military -- and commonly known as cotton
duck.
(end quote)
New York Times July 12, 1992, section 4, page 20.
------ Original Message ------
>From "Peter Reitan" <pjreitan at HOTMAIL.COM>
To ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Date 5/17/2025 19:45:11
Subject Re: duck tape, antedated?
>I found a newspaper article that appears to be a fact-based discussion about the invention of duct tape, and the evolution of the word.
>
>Claims it was invented in WWII, as "duct" tape, using medical bandages as the cloth. Company evebtually changed its trade name to " duck" tape because people kept calling it ducktape.
>
>Article from Wilkes Barre Citizen's Voice, in 2000.
>
>https://www.newspapers.com/article/citizens-voice/172590415/
>
>
>________________________________
>From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Stephen Goranson <0000179d4093b2d6-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Sent: Saturday, May 17, 2025 9:35:06 AM
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Subject: Re: duck tape, antedated?
>
>---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
>Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster: Stephen Goranson <goranson at DUKE.EDU>
>Subject: Re: duck tape, antedated?
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>UXVpdGUgcmlnaHQsIFBhdCwgdGhhdCBkdWNrIHdhcyBzdWJzdGFudGlhbCBjb3R0b24uIEEgcXVl
>c3Rpb24gaXMgd2hldGhlciwgYXMgYSB0YXBlIHN0cmlwIGZvciB1c2UgaW4gbWFjaGluZXJ5IChw
>dWxsaWVzIGFuZCBzdWNoKSwgaXQgd291bGQgaGF2ZSBiZWVuIHRyZWF0ZWQgdG8gYmUgbW9yZSBl
>ZmZlY3RpdmUuIElmIHNvICg/KSwgYW4gYW5hbG9neSBtaWdodCBiZSB3aXRoIGEgKGdhcykgY2Fy
>IGZhbiBiZWx0IHNwcmF5Lg0KU3RlcGhlbg0KX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19f
>X18NCkZyb206IEFtZXJpY2FuIERpYWxlY3QgU29jaWV0eSA8QURTLUxATElTVFNFUlYuVUdBLkVE
>VT4gb24gYmVoYWxmIG9mIG1haWxib3ggZ3JhbW1hcnBob2JpYS5jb20gPG1haWxib3hAR1JBTU1B
>UlBIT0JJQS5DT00+DQpTZW50OiBTYXR1cmRheSwgTWF5IDE3LCAyMDI1IDExOjQ2IEFNDQpUbzog
>QURTLUxATElTVFNFUlYuVUdBLkVEVSA8QURTLUxATElTVFNFUlYuVUdBLkVEVT4NClN1YmplY3Q6
>IFJlOiBkdWNrIHRhcGUsIGFudGVkYXRlZD8NCg0KU29ycnksIEkgdGhpbmsgdGhlIHF1b3RlcyBp
>biBteSBsYXN0IG1lc3NhZ2Ugc2NyZXdlZCBpdCB1cC4gSGVyZSBpdCBpcyBhZ2Fpbi4NCg0KVGhl
>IDxoZWF2eSBkdWNrIHRhcGU+IHJlZmVycmVkIHRvIGluIDE4OTQgd2FzIHByb2JhYmx5IGNsb3Ro
>LCBhIG5hcnJvdyBzdHJpcCBvZiBoZWF2eSBjYW52YXMtd2VpZ2h0IGNvdHRvbi4gSW4gdGhlIDE5
>dGggY2VudHVyeSwgdGhlIG5vdW4gPHRhcGU+IGRpZCBub3QgcmVmZXIgdG8gYSBuYXJyb3cgYWRo
>ZXNpdmUgc3RyaXAuDQoNClBhdCBPJ0Nvbm5lcg0KDQpPbiBNYXkgMTcsIDIwMjUsIGF0IDEyOjAw
>4oCvQU0sIEFEUy1MIGF1dG9tYXRpYyBkaWdlc3Qgc3lzdGVtIDxMSVNUU0VSVkBMSVNUU0VSVi5V
>R0EuRURVPiB3cm90ZToNCg0KDQpEYXRlOiAgICBGcmksIDE2IE1heSAyMDI1IDIwOjAxOjU4ICsw
>MDAwDQpGcm9tOiAgICBTdGVwaGVuIEdvcmFuc29uIDxnb3JhbnNvbkBEVUtFLkVEVTxtYWlsdG86
>Z29yYW5zb25ARFVLRS5FRFU+Pg0KU3ViamVjdDogZHVjayB0YXBlLCBhbnRlZGF0ZWQ/DQoNCkEg
>TllUIG9iaXR1YXJ5IG9mIEVkIFNteWxpZSwgd2hvIHNhdmVkIEFwb2xsbyBhc3Ryb25hdXRzIGJ5
>IHByb3Bvc2luZyBhIGNvbnRyYXB0aW9uIHVzaW5nIGR1Y3QgdGFwZSwgcmVtaW5kcyAgbWUgb2Yg
>dGhlIGVhcmxpZXIgKD8pIGR1Y2sgdGFwZS4gU2VhcmNoaW5nIHNlZW1lZCBpbmFkZXF1YXRlIGZv
>ciB3aGF0IEkgcmVjYWxsLg0KU28sIG1heWJlLCBtYXliZSBub3Q6DQoNCiIuLi51c2UgYSBoZWF2
>eSBkdWNrIHRhcGUuLi4iDQoNClRoZSBFbGVjdHJpY2FsIHdvcmxkIHYuIDI0ICgxODk0KQ0KcGFn
>ZSA3OSAsIGNvbC4gMg0KDQpodHRwczovL25hbTExLnNhZmVsaW5rcy5wcm90ZWN0aW9uLm91dGxv
>b2suY29tLz91cmw9aHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZiYWJlbC5oYXRoaXRydXN0Lm9yZyUyRmNnaSUyRnB0
>JTNGaWQlM0RuanAuMzIxMDEwNDg4NjU1ODYlMjZzZXElM0Q5NSUyNnExJTNEJTI1MjJkdWNrJTJC
>dGFwZSUyNTIyJmRhdGE9MDUlN0MwMiU3Q2dvcmFuc29uJTQwRFVLRS5FRFUlN0M5YjQ1NTU0NjY0
>MTM0OTllZTBlMjA4ZGQ5NTU5ZmJmOCU3Q2NiNzJjNTRlNGEzMTRkOWViMTRhMWVhMzZkZmFjOTRj
>JTdDMCU3QzAlN0M2Mzg4MzA5MzYwMjk0NjY4OTIlN0NVbmtub3duJTdDVFdGcGJHWnNiM2Q4ZXlK
>RmJYQjBlVTFoY0draU9uUnlkV1VzSWxZaU9pSXdMakF1TURBd01DSXNJbEFpT2lKWGFXNHpNaUlz
>SWtGT0lqb2lUV0ZwYkNJc0lsZFVJam95ZlElM0QlM0QlN0M4MDAwMCU3QyU3QyU3QyZzZGF0YT1o
>WmNaN2Z4Mm9LQkFlR3ZONENFVklQVktGenRuNURQNyUyRmpPVHQzWTElMkZDQSUzRCZyZXNlcnZl
>ZD0wPGh0dHBzOi8vYmFiZWwuaGF0aGl0cnVzdC5vcmcvY2dpL3B0P2lkPW5qcC4zMjEwMTA0ODg2
>NTU4NiZzZXE9OTUmcTE9JTIyZHVjayt0YXBlJTIyPg0KDQoNCg0KLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0t
>LS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tDQpUaGUgQW1lcmljYW4g
>RGlhbGVjdCBTb2NpZXR5IC0gaHR0cHM6Ly9uYW0xMS5zYWZlbGlua3MucHJvdGVjdGlvbi5vdXRs
>b29rLmNvbS8/dXJsPWh0dHAlM0ElMkYlMkZ3d3cuYW1lcmljYW5kaWFsZWN0Lm9yZyUyRiZkYXRh
>PTA1JTdDMDIlN0Nnb3JhbnNvbiU0MERVS0UuRURVJTdDOWI0NTU1NDY2NDEzNDk5ZWUwZTIwOGRk
>OTU1OWZiZjglN0NjYjcyYzU0ZTRhMzE0ZDllYjE0YTFlYTM2ZGZhYzk0YyU3QzAlN0MwJTdDNjM4
>ODMwOTM2MDI5NDg5NDMzJTdDVW5rbm93biU3Q1RXRnBiR1pzYjNkOGV5SkZiWEIwZVUxaGNHa2lP
>blJ5ZFdVc0lsWWlPaUl3TGpBdU1EQXdNQ0lzSWxBaU9pSlhhVzR6TWlJc0lrRk9Jam9pVFdGcGJD
>SXNJbGRVSWpveWZRJTNEJTNEJTdDODAwMDAlN0MlN0MlN0Mmc2RhdGE9c21hQ1RQclNCblFTWTZX
>andMSjNGeDQzZ2dQdTFmRnVzeVhQM2xSWG10YyUzRCZyZXNlcnZlZD0wPGh0dHA6Ly93d3cuYW1l
>cmljYW5kaWFsZWN0Lm9yZy8+DQoNCi0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0t
>LS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLQ0KVGhlIEFtZXJpY2FuIERpYWxlY3QgU29jaWV0eSAt
>IGh0dHA6Ly93d3cuYW1lcmljYW5kaWFsZWN0Lm9yZw0K
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
More information about the Ads-l
mailing list