ruptured duck, n.

[Dave Monroe]

OED Online Word of the Day

ruptured duck, n.

Pronunciation:  Brit. /ˌrʌptʃəd ˈdʌk/ , U.S. /ˌrəp(t)ʃərd ˈdək/

Etymology:  < ruptured adj. + duck n.1

 U.S. slang (orig. and chiefly Mil.).

1. A damaged aircraft.Several specific planes were nicknamed ‘the
Ruptured Duck’, notably a B-25 that was used in the 1942 Doolittle
raid on Tokyo.

1930    ‘W. W. Windstaff’ in S. Longstreet Canvas Falcons (1970) xvii.
291,   I began to look for a place to bring down my ruptured duck, oil
spitting in my face.

1943    Los Angeles Times 28 Apr. i. 4/2   He tied our‥decoration onto
the bomb load of that plane we had nicknamed the Ruptured Duck.

1989    W. J. Boyne Trophy for Eagles 102   That night Bandfield
walked past the crumpled remains of the Fisk, a battered, ruptured
duck.

1995    S. J. Cannell Plan (1996) xl. 230,   I can't guarantee we
ain't gonna prang it in a cornfield. Bird's a ruptured duck.

2003    Edmonton (Alberta) Sun (Nexis) 24 Nov. 18   ‘The horror
stories are countless,’ said passenger Brian Parks of Las Vegas. ‘I'm
not getting back on that ruptured duck.’

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