# Does a duck's quack echo? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 17, 2002, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-ducks-quack-echo/143367 "2002-12-17T18:10:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tia3child](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/54ee81/32.png) [@Tia3child](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tia3child)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-ducks-quack-echo/143367/1 "2002-12-17T18:10:15Z")
OKay I’m asking this for a friend. I hope I get it right. If you put a duck in a room and listen to it quack, would it echo off the walls. If it does not echo (which he believe’s it does not) why does it not echo? ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-ducks-quack-echo/143367/2 "2002-12-17T18:14:17Z")
[The Master speaks](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_071.html). ---
**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-ducks-quack-echo/143367/3 "2002-12-17T18:14:29Z")
The Master speaks: [Is it true a duck’s quack won’t echo?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_071.html) ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-ducks-quack-echo/143367/4 "2002-12-17T18:25:04Z")
It’s a sound wave, of course it would echo. ---
**Author:** ![buckgully](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb9ed0/32.png) [@buckgully](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buckgully)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-ducks-quack-echo/143367/5 "2002-12-17T18:46:21Z")
Oh, I now have a new favorite Straight Dope article. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-ducks-quack-echo/143367/6 "2002-12-17T18:52:27Z")
Heh – I beat both **Dr Matrix** and **DDG** with the link. ::: polishes knuckles smugly ::: 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-ducks-quack-echo/143367/7 "2002-12-17T19:20:45Z")
Someone actually asked this??? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-ducks-quack-echo/143367/8 "2002-12-17T19:30:30Z")
> [@](#): > > Heh – I beat both Dr Matrix and DDG with the link. ::: polishes knuckles smugly ::: Now that’s just unfair to the feathered one. You know that she can’t play if she’s not online.😃 You got **DrMatrix** fair and square though ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-ducks-quack-echo/143367/9 "2002-12-17T19:36:05Z")
Actually, **DDG** was probably over in GD explaining in small, simple words why “we shouldn’t elect a Jewish president because it’ll tick off the Moslems, who are all terrorists” is not a reasonable position to hold. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-ducks-quack-echo/143367/10 "2002-12-17T20:13:44Z")
You da man, Poly. You da man. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-ducks-quack-echo/143367/11 "2002-12-18T03:46:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Meatros \* > \*\*Someone actually asked this??? \*\* This was in an e-mail that made the rounds for a while of “interesting facts” or some such. I don’t recall any of the other items; they were all about as carefully researched as this one. It was one of those things you read item-by-item, thinking, “OK, THAT’s not true, THAT’s not true, that one MIGHT be true, THAT’s not true…” ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-ducks-quack-echo/143367/12 "2002-12-18T22:36:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jackelope \* > \*\*This was in an e-mail that made the rounds for a while of “interesting facts” or some such. I don’t recall any of the other items; they were all about as carefully researched as this one. It was one of those things you read item-by-item, thinking, “OK, THAT’s not true, THAT’s not true, that one MIGHT be true, THAT’s not true…” \*\* Incidently, when I get those sorts of “facts” emails, I check another messageboard(as much as it PAINS me to do so). The other messageboard has a special section (trivia I think) that deals with those sorts of forwards. I can’t betray the SDMB, so I will only say that it rhymes with “dopes”.😃 ---
**Author:** ![PolskiKing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@PolskiKing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PolskiKing)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-ducks-quack-echo/143367/13 "2002-12-18T22:50:32Z")
omg i cant believe someone posted this AGIAN! Im sick of hearing the same damn post. Dont no one check the archives b4 posting? ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-ducks-quack-echo/143367/14 "2002-12-18T22:56:08Z")
What I _really_ want to know is, why do we quack in a duckway, and duck in a quackway? ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-ducks-quack-echo/143367/15 "2002-12-18T23:13:25Z")
“Duck” is one of the words ending in “-uck”. What is the third word? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-ducks-quack-echo/143367/16 "2002-12-18T23:17:30Z")
The SD coverage of the question is the best! I laughed out loud and still grin when I picture it. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-ducks-quack-echo/143367/17 "2002-12-18T23:30:08Z")
This is the question that guided me to the message boards; I had to debunk another e-mail filled with those “facts”. But this is worse than weed! A month ago the College Times news magazine had that duck “fact”, complete with the “and no one knows why!” :rolleyes: [looks at the other posts in the tread] Hey! Where are all the SDMB ducks!?! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-ducks-quack-echo/143367/18 "2002-12-19T03:47:42Z")
\<\< Someone actually asked this??? \>\> Ohhhhhh yeah. At least once a week, someone sends this in to Cecil. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-ducks-quack-echo/143367/19 "2002-12-19T08:29:51Z")
Once a _week?_ Oh my god. I’m not sure I want to be associated with humanity any more. I wonder if the ducks are taking applications? Then this sort of thing would just roll off me like idiocy off a senator’s tongue. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-ducks-quack-echo/143367/20 "2002-12-19T10:55:17Z")
No, no. Here’s the real mystery. Three men go to a motel, they are charged 30 ducks for a room, which they split at 10 ducks apiece. Later it is discovered they were overcharged, and that the actual cost should have been 25 ducks. A bellboy is given 5 ducks and is told to give them to the men. The bellboy, however, decides steal 2 ducks and returns only 1 duck to each man. Now, each man has paid 9 ducks to stay in the room and 3 x 9 = 27 ducks. The bellboy pocketed 2 ducks. 27 + 2 = 29… so where’s the missing duck? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-ducks-quack-echo/143367.md?page=2)