What Is a Sitting Duck?
The English language is filled with colorful phrases to spice up the way we communicate with one another. These phrases, known as idioms, take a term and use it to mean something less literal than usual. For example, “high on the hog” means that a person is enjoying wealth. The idiom “sitting duck” refers not to actual sitting ducks but rather people put in certain situations.
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Meaning
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When someone is described as a sitting duck, it is hardly a favorable representation. A sitting duck, as an idiom, refers to a person who appears to be an easy target, according to Trevor’s Writing. People described as sitting ducks are vulnerable to any and all attacks that may come their way. They have little to no defenses available and will likely be overwhelmed by whatever may come their way. Additionally, anything described as a sitting duck may not necessarily be weak, according to Sports Idioms, but may be blindsided by an event and therefore unlikely to be prepared.
Origins
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Early in the 1900s, the phrase became part of the American lexicon, according to Joe-ks.com. Duck hunters learned quickly that a sitting duck made for an easier target to hit than ducks flying through the air or diving beneath the water. When sitting, ducks usually do not anticipate an attack on the horizon. Therefore, it makes it easier to approach or shoot them when they’re sitting. The ducks are caught off-guard and put up less resistance. This was soon connected to situations in which people would be caught off-guard or put into particularly vulnerable positions.
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Examples
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There are numerous situations in which someone can be described as a sitting duck. A woman walking into a car dealership alone may be described as a sitting duck by some. Soldiers sleeping during battle are sitting ducks for enemies, as they are likely ill-prepared for an incoming attack. People may feel like sitting ducks if they boat out to the center of a lake, only to have the boat engine die. Using a horror film cliché, more often than not, amorous teenage campers are sitting ducks for any crazed killers out for revenge.
Similar Terms
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In regards to the meaning of the phrase associated with being an easy target, the terms "mark" and "vic" can also be substituted. Both words derive from con situations, according to WordIQ.com. Con artists would select a mark to run their scheme on after some observing to make sure the person was particularly vulnerable. In some cases, these victims received marks literally, as amusement park or carnival workers would pat easy targets on the back in mock sympathy and leave a chalk print or sticker behind so that other workers would know that this person was an easy target.
Michael Bedard’s Sitting Ducks
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While idioms are not meant to be taken literally, artist Michael Bedard created a name for himself by designing a literal depiction of the phrase. In 1977, Bedard, a Canadian who had settled in Los Angeles several years prior, created the lithograph “Sitting Ducks,” according to Whimsical-art.com. The lithograph depicts three ducks sitting in beach chairs with sunglasses on--in other words, literally sitting ducks. The lithograph soared in popularity, and eventually became the basis of a TV show. Bedard also created a children’s book with the same title.
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References
- Photo Credit mallard duck sitting image by robert mobley from Fotolia.com
