History Main / Duck

* The children's show ''{{Series/Zoboomafoo}}'' did this OnceAnEpisode, generally followed by a trained exotic bird flying through and dropping a letter. Every time it is pointed out that it's "not a duck", followed by some explanation to the ConstantlyCurious child that no, that's a falcon, or a condor, etc. (At one point, this is actually lampshaded by using an actual duck.)

* This happens in ''Literature/DiaryOfAWimpyKidTheLastStraw''. Frank is about to be hit by a branch in the river, Greg tells him to duck, and Frank is trying to look for a duck. It seems not to have ended well.

In fiction, characters have a surprising tendency to mix these words up. Generally, if an object is coming at someone very fast, and they are advised to "duck!" they will immediately look around for ''a duck'' -- [[WhereWhere "Where? Where?"]] -- thinking the word to have been a reference to the latter example, that is, the bird. Or, if there ''is'' a duck, and someone informs them of its presence with the demonstrative "duck!", they will cover their head to avoid an incoming object, thinking the other character to have been advising them to lower their head, as in the former definition.

* On the first episode of the edutainment show ''WesternAnimation/JoJosCircus'', this trope was played straight- in more ways than one. Goliath the Lion activated a pie-throwing machine, and when Jojo tells him to duck, he makes duck noises until the clown had to explain to the lion the verb meaning of duck.

* On the first episode of the edutainment show ''WesternAnimation/JoJosCircus'', this trope was played straight, and the verb meaning of duck was then explained. Goliath the Lion activated a pie-throwing machine, and when Jojo tells him to duck, he makes duck noises until the clown had to explain to the lion the verb meaning of duck.

'''Thug:''' Hey, that ain't no flock o' ducks. That’s a... ''[football shaped rock hits him on the head, pushing him into the ground]'' rock.

'''Referee:''' Maybe there's a flock of them coming over. ''[makes a break for it as the thug looks for the "flock of ducks"]''\\

* ''WesternAnimation/SuperMarioBros'':

[[DontExplainTheJoke We hope that clears things up.]]

'''Marlin:''' That's not a duck, that's a...''[[OhCrap PELICAN!]]''

-->'''Admiral Benson:''' Ahhh...I love soup. At least I think I love soup. Blasted shell! It's either soup or duck. Which one do you shoot?
-->'''Lt. Commander Block:''' Duck, sir.
-->(Admiral Benson hits head on desk while ducking)

# ''noun'': 1. small wild or domesticated web-footed broad-billed swimming bird usually having a depressed body and short legs; "the duck had to duck to avoid the bridge", 2. the meat of said bird.

* In ''Series/TheThundermans'' This happens at the end of the episode "Thundersense" when Phoebe tries to warn her best friend Cherry about a flying meatball. When she shouts "Cherry! Duck!" Cherry replies "Where?!" looking around only to be hit by the meatball and knocked to the ground. When Phoebe asks if she is OK she replies "I'm okay but what about the duck?"

* Done both ways in ''Webcomic/TheNoob''. [[http://www.thenoobcomic.com/index.php?pos=152 "M'lord! DUCK!"]]
* ''Webcomic/BobAndGeorge'' [[http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/061016 did it using]] [[WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987 Scrooge McDuck]].[[note]]The [[VideoGame/DuckTales video game version]], anyway; that's what you get [[http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/061019 when you create an interdimensional portal into an NES game]].[[/note]]
--> '''[[http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/061017 KAZAP!]]'''

* From the ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}} (1991)'' episode, "[[Recap/RugratsS1E7GrandpasTeethMommaTrauma Grandpa's Teeth]]", with Chuckie being a backseat driver on Spike's back:

* From the ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'' episode, "Grandpa's Teeth", with Chuckie being a backseat driver on Spike's back:

* On an episode of the edutainment show ''WesternAnimation/JoJosCircus'', this trope was played straight, and the verb meaning of duck was then explained.

* ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'': In Season 3, the Reds and Blues work together to inflitrate O'Malley's base. As they're sneaking around, turrets open fire on them. Somewhat justified, considering that [[{{CloudcuckooLander}} Caboose is the kind of person who WOULD confuse the two meanings of the word]].

* A WebOriginal/{{Vine}} used both at the same time:

* A variation with a different term occurred in an episode of the ''WesternAnimation/SuperMarioBros'' cartoon series, where Mario called for everyone to duck by saying "Get down!" only for Luigi to start dancing.

* An early episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'' did this. Arthur and Francine are trying to deliver a letter to Muffy's mailbox ''without being seen'' while there are tons of yard workers around. Interestingly, the word meets both definitions at once.

** Also this exchange:
-->'''Buster:''' Brain, can you help me come up with a new villain the Bionic Bunny could fight?
-->'''Brain:''' Let's see, squids have been done, turtles have been done, how about a...duck!

* A ''WesternAnimation/{{Histeria}}'' sketch set in World War II has Loud Kiddington shout this out several times(to be fair, it was the Invasion of Normandy), resulting in this cameo:
-->'''[[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Daffy Duck]]:''' Will you knock that off?! Sheesh! A bird could develop a complex around here!

* A ''WesternAnimation/{{Histeria}}'' sketch set in World War II has Loud Kiddington shout this out several times, resulting in this cameo:

* Used repeatedly in ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck''.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': In "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS7E1Lessons Lessons]]", Buffy gets this seconds after she finds out [[spoiler: that Spike is back, insane, and living in the school basement]].

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS25E3SilverNemesis "Silver Nemesis"]]: The Doctor yells out "Duck!", [[ActionGirl Ace]] immediately throws herself flat, scene cut and the Doctor is chasing a small gaggle of ducks out of the TARDIS.

* A one-off comic in a Creator/{{Nick|elodeon}} Magazine used both variants in a short story comic. Initially a lifeguard at a pool ducks on reflex upon hearing "Duck!", but the person shouting it was referring to the animal, which has waddled up to them. For the next several days the pool is overrun with ducks and people can't swim in it at all, but one day all the ducks vanish... and of course, the next time the lifeguard hears "Duck!" they instinctively worry that the ducks are back, only to be beaned in the face with a beach ball.