7 ms·
> With duct typing, that gets considerably harder. Your hypercorrection from duct tape is bleeding into your duck typing. So named because "if it looks like a
by jdmichal 11y ago
> With duct typing, that gets considerably harder.
Your hypercorrection from duct tape is bleeding into your duck typing. So named because "if it looks like a duck, it must be a duck."
- js2 11y agoIt so happens that the tape was originally called duck tape, so named because it was made by applying adhesive to duck cloth. The name duct tape came later, when it started being used in construction to seal duct work. Amusingly, modern duct tape is not certified for that use. None of this has anything to do with the duck referred to in duck typing. But I am now curious about the etymology of "duck cloth" and whether it has any relation to water fowl that quack. edit: "strong, untwilled linen (later cotton) fabric," used for sails and sailors' clothing, 1630s, from Dutch doeck "linen cloth" (Middle Dutch doec), related to German Tuch "piece of cloth," Danish dug, Old Frisian dok, Old High German tuoh, all of unknown origin."
- JoeAltmaier 11y agoI thought it was ammo-case waterproof tape developed in WWII, affectionately called 'duck tape' by GI Joe.
- jdmichal 11y agoEtymology is fascinating some times. It appears that the use of "duck" as a type of fabric is still alive in English, though a lot of technical fabric terms aren't really well known in the general populous anymore. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_duck https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_duck http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/duck http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/duck (4)