A mispronunciation, folk etymology, and quack etymology of duct tape. The story that duct tape was originally
duck tape is an urban legend. No researcher has ever found a single instance of the adhesive tape developed in 1942 being called "
duck tape" until the 70s and 80s, long after it was established that it was called "duct tape" and
people were simply mispronouncing it. This urban legend has picked up a lot of steam for various reasons, but is wholly unsubstantiated.
People like to tell the story that "
duck tape" isn'
t really a mispronunciation, but is actually the origin of "duct tape," but the story is just that: a story.