The origin of the term “duct tape” is the subject of some disagreement.
One view[17] is that it was called “duck tape” by WWII soldiers either because it resembled strips of cotton duck or because the waterproof quality of the tape contributed to the name, by analogy to the water-shedding quality of a duck’s plumage. Under this view, soldiers returning home from the war found uses for duck tape around the house, where tents were forgotten and ductwork needed sealing, not ammunition cases. Other proponents of this view point to older references to non-adhesive cotton duck tape used in Venetian blinds, suggesting that the name was carried over to the adhesive product. The Oxford English Dictionary says that perhaps “duct tape” was originally “duck tape”. This view is summarized most notably in a New York Times article by etymologist William Safire in March 2003. Safire cites use of the term “cotton duck tape” in a 1945 advertisement for surplus government property.[18] The Oxford English Dictionary gives a 1902 quotation for “100,000 yards of cotton duck tape” being used to protect the cables of the Brooklyn Bridge.[19] Thus a fabric duck tape was available to which an adhesive could have been added.
The other view is that “duct tape” is the original term, since there are many documented uses of that term which pre-date all documented uses of the term “duck tape” for the adhesive-backed product, and that there is no written evidence supporting the WWII story.[20] Some proponents of this view accept the idea that there was an earlier non-adhesive “duck tape”, but claim that people have just confused the similar pronunciation of two similar but unrelated products through the process of elision, and that the rest of the “duck” etymology is folklore or fabrication. This view was summarized most notably in a Boston Globe article by etymologist Jan Freeman, also in March 2003.[21]
In any case, whether it is an error or a preservation of the original usage, the term “duck tape” is sometimes used for the product today.[22] Duck Tape is also a brand name for this product in some countries.
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