: I keep seeing references to something called Duck tape.

You may have taken the Cup from us, but be real careful what you say about that which holds our nation close to our hearts! Duct tape, that is. Perhaps if you Aussies used more it you'd still have the Cup. Or at least that Cup boat might not be on the bottom.

After all duct tape was invented here in the ol' US of A. Invented not because of any particular ventilation need, but to increase sales. Back in the depths of the Great Depression an American foot care products company manufactured a product known as "adhesive tape." It was sold to support week ankles, I guess. A great product, but not much of a market. The tape was pretty unique at its time because self adhering tapes as we know them today weren't common.

Some enterprising marketing type saw the possibility of selling the tape for other uses. The cotton fabric used as the basis of the tape was cut from cotton duck, a heavy cotton cloth. To make various products the duck was treated with different materials depending on the desired characteristics. Thus products like friction tape, with its electrical insulating properties and waterproof duck tape were born.

When our Japanese friends tried to create the Asian co-prosperity sphere and wanted to add your nation to it, duck tape went to war. Thousands of miles of it were used to seal ammo cases, weatherproof aircraft in transport and otherwise keep the nasties out of military equipment. Our esteemed enemy didn't have duck tape. Need I say more?

Of course, the war brought many improvements in chemicals and in adhesive tapes. The production of artificial rubber and plastic gave tapes greater capabilities. But for the increase in cental air conditioning duck tape, like many old soldiers may have faded away. Once again American marketing genius came to the fore and sold duck to the the air conditioning industry as "duct" tape. The product was improved to meet the needs of this industry. It got plasticized, strengthed and a better adhesive. It this these characteristics that make it such an instituion in America and the world today.

I note that after the tragic loss of life during the Sidney-Hobart ocean race a blue ribbon panel of your countrymen recommended some changes in the basic safety equipment that all ocean racing yachts carry. Among them was a roll of duck tape. Seems that the committee was impressed by stories of survivors lashing failing liferafts together with duct tape.

So you see son, duck or duct are both proper appellations for the tape that holds the world together. "Duck" for the traditionalist, "duct" for the post war modernist. Just say it with respect.

Below is just one of 334 hits I got on a duct tape search. Igot 364 for "duck tape.