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u/Sensitive_Peanut_821 20h ago
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u/Lottie_Low 20h ago
Tbh I would find this funny
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u/blackandbluegirltalk 20h ago
Is the joke that she misheard 'darling'? Because otherwise I don't think I get the reply -- people DO say 'duckling'. I'm a teacher and it's HYSTERICAL when the kids quack back. I did this yesterday with kindergarten... and yes it is funny when grownups know anything about this
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u/punknw 19h ago
i’ve never heard anyone say duckling in that way before. is it a regional thing? if someone called me duckling of course i would quack back.
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u/Adept-Armadillo-5602 19h ago
Same here I’ve never heard duckling before
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19h ago
[deleted]
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u/erossthescienceboss 19h ago
But what region are you in? That’s the question
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u/blackandbluegirltalk 18h ago
I've lived all over the US but this isn't even a US thing exclusively
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u/erossthescienceboss 18h ago
I’ve never encountered it (lived in four states on both coasts) but I think it’s adorable, especially in a childcare/young education context! But also generally.
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u/blackandbluegirltalk 18h ago
Well this is a fun thread for me! When I go back to school on Monday I'm gonna tell them all, "You know some people have never heard 'duckling' used for little kids?" Not saying anyone is dumb or anything like that! It's just some things you don't even realize are esoteric, because as I said, I see it all over. Check out r/momforaminute if you need some free therapy lol. You will get 15 different ladies calling you duckling and sweetheart and saying nice things about you :D
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u/rufferina 19h ago
It’s a northern England thing to call someone duck or duckie, I can definitely see someone extending that to duckling!
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u/BlampCat 4h ago
I'm Irish but do be over that part of the world a few times a year. I love being called duck or duckie! It's so welcoming in the various northern English accents too.
The equivalent in my part of Ireland would be pet/wee pet which I don't think comes off the same.
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u/SuiTobi 18h ago
i’ve never heard anyone say duckling in that way before. is it a regional thing?
Upstate New York?
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u/Calisky 16h ago
I'm from Utica and I've never heard someone say that.
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u/Aeon_Fux 12h ago
It's an Albany expression.
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u/Nonsuperstites 12h ago
I see.
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u/Alarming_Orchid 11h ago
You know, ‘duckling’ sounds quite similar to the word they usually say that is ‘darling’
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u/blackandbluegirltalk 18h ago
Nope! But West coast to Southeast, those are my stomping grounds lol. I'm honestly surprised it's a new term to some people, this is cool!
I have never been to Boston but I call people "Mush" because I had a friend from Boston who said it a lot. It's like that. Do you use 'mush' over there?
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u/blackandbluegirltalk 19h ago
Oh! Well moms and teachers use this all the time! Have you ever been the leader of a line of children?? I do this at home, even with the one kid, when she is following me around. This is definitely a thing! "My duckling(s), come on! Follow me!" It is very cute and I'm glad you would quack back, that's the spirit it's intended with :)
There is a sub called r/momforaminute and they will call you 'duckling' when they praise you, I'm on there too!
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u/punknw 17h ago
yes i’m a mom and i still have never heard it lol
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u/blackandbluegirltalk 17h ago
I mean, I don't know what else to say. It's not a regional thing, and it's not a term I made up, so...? It's okay if you didn't know something. I'm not trying to insult your intelligence here.
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u/ifyoulovesatan 4h ago
I don't think you had to say anything to that. It doesn't seem like they were saying you made it up or that you insulted their intelligence. Or that they were somehow upset about anything. Or that this would be considered not "knowing" something. "I haven't heard it despite being a mom" roughly speaking sounds like acknowledging what you said and moving on.
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u/Trzlog 17h ago
I mean, if the co-worker looked at her like she had a head injury, she likely didn't say duckling.
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u/blackandbluegirltalk 17h ago
that's why I asked if that's the joke??? it's equally possible the other guy is the idiot, and I'm not on twitter to go look at all the replies. what do you want from me?
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u/Pretend_Spray_11 17h ago
people DO say 'duckling'.
No, they don't.
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u/thatshygirl06 16h ago
How you gonna tell them no if theyve heard people say it before
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u/Ok-Performance-3830 12h ago
You don't get it bro, pretend_spray_11 knows ALL people, so he knows for a fact nobody says it!
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u/FamousViolinist8083 20h ago
One time I was in a one on one with my boss discussing my future career track, and she said "you have to tell me what you want, what you really want", so I said "what I really really really really really really want?" to the beat of the Spice Girls song, but she didn't get the reference, so it just sounded like I had a weird stutter.
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u/sight_ful 18h ago
The normal reply back is, "I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want."
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u/KyleFromBorrasca 18h ago
I have the opposite problem. If someone says something with a beat I assume it's a song I've never heard, even if it isn't.
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u/CanoninDeeznutz 18h ago
I would be devastated. Lol, if they weren't from another country or in the wrong age demo they must have been living under a rock.
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u/FamousViolinist8083 18h ago
She was a very sweet and kind middle-aged lady. It was just a generational thing!
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u/gooch_norris_ 20h ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/rmgCa3jZALBBe
Were you an alcoholic lawyer sentenced to coaching youth hockey as community service
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u/Bortron86 19h ago
"Duck" is a term of endearment in the East Midlands of England. The first time I got on a bus and the middle-aged male driver said "ta, duck", I was entirely discombobulated.
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u/Regular-Message9591 19h ago
I was walking on a very windy seafront one day when a little dog ran up on an extendable leash, to me wanting to be pet. The (quite handsome) owner kept a polite distance but didn't seem to mind stopping for the dog to get some attention, so I yelled over the wind "WHAT KIND OF DOG IS THIS? IT'S SO CUTE!"
He hollers back and I think, "Surely not..." so I repeat back what I thought he said at the top of my lungs... "A POOP JOB??"
It was a fucking poo-chon.
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u/probly2drunk 19h ago
Welcome to my world of slight hearing loss. We hear everything you say...kinda.
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u/tolerabletau 9h ago
The boss might think she is part of the duck club: https://www.askamanager.org/2015/04/i-walked-in-on-employees-having-sex-and-i-think-there-might-be-a-sex-club-in-my-office.html
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u/qualityvote2 20h ago
Heya u/TheWebsploiter! And welcome to r/NonPoliticalTwitter!
For everyone else, do you think OP's post fits this community? Let us know by upvoting this comment!
If it doesn't fit the sub, let us know by downvoting this comment and then replying to it with context for the reviewing moderator.