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Ducks on a pond

Posted by ESC on June 02, 2011 at 13:44

In Reply to: Ducks on a pond posted by Dave on May 09, 2011 at 09:32:

: I know that in baseball they refer to "Ducks on a pond" when there are baserunners that are in scoring position for the hitter. Why? Are ducks on a pond easy targets for hunters because they are not in flight?

Yes. "sitting duck -- The term comes from hunting, where it is of course much easier to shoot a stationary bird than one that is in flight (ducks attain speeds of 60 to 70 miles per hour). The term began to be used figuratively at the beginning of World War II, at first referring to the targets of enemy flak and bombs..." "Southpaws & Sunday Punches and other Sporting Expressions" by Christine Ammer (Penguin Books, New York, 1993). Page 200.

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