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Duck: Difference between revisions
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# ''noun'': 1. small wild or domesticated web-footed broad-billed swimming bird usually having a depressed body and short legs; "the duck had to duck to avoid the bridge", 2. the meat of said bird.
In fiction, characters have a surprising tendency to mix these words up. Generally, if an object is coming at someone very fast, and they are advised to "duck!" they will immediately look around for ''a duck'' -- [[Where? Where?|"Where? Where?"]]—thinking the word to have been a reference to the latter example, that is, the bird. Or, if there ''is'' a duck, and someone informs them of its presence with the demonstrative "duck!", they will cover their head to avoid an incoming object, thinking the other character to have been advising them to lower their head, as in the former definition.
You would think that for a rational person, context would clarify these things. The source of the humour comes in this case from this expectation of people's ability to discern the intended meaning of an [[Ambiguous Syntax|ambiguous utterance]] being [[Subverted Trope|subverted]] by their apparent confusion in the heat of the moment. In either case, there is the further opportunity for "slapstick" comedy in the character throwing themselves to the floor or being struck by a fast moving animal. [[Rule of Funny|The improbability of this happening is justified in the context of a comedy by its providing amusement to the viewer.]]
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'''Lt. Commander Block:''' Duck, sir.
(Admiral Benson hits head on desk while ducking) }}
* In ''[[Twice Upon a Time (1983 film)|Twice Upon a Time]]'', Ralph [[Shapeshifting|the All-Purpose Animal]] finds himself being attacked by Botch's vulture minions, and yells to his friend Mumford "Duck!" while [[Visual Pun|reflexively turning into a duck]].
* ''[[Howard the Duck (film)|Howard the Duck]]'' can't resist at least one use of this trope. In the middle of a firefight someone yells Duck and our hero stand up straight and replies '''And proud of it!'''
** This was an extension of the joke in [[Howard the Duck (comics)|the comics]] of ''everyone'' saying something similar while coming to terms with the duck talking to them.
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[[Category:Comedy Tropes]]
[[Category:Language Tropes]]
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