ruptured duck, n.

[Paul Mackin]

On 9/17/2011 9:25 AM, Joe Allonby wrote:
> I believe it was also used to describe the Eagle Insignia worn to
> indicate that an officer was not on active duty but wearing the
> uniform for ceremonial purposes.

Or because they hadn't gotten around to buying civies yet.

This was the main use of the term in the forties.   Everybody knew it.

You were also issued a gold colored pin to indicate that you had served. 
(in addition to the sew-on insignia for uniforms)

P
>
>
>
> On Thu, Sep 15, 2011 at 8:16 PM, Dave Monroe<against.the.dave at gmail.com>  wrote:
>> 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.’
>>
>> http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/276863
>>