# Duck Quacks and Echos **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 7, 2002, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-quacks-and-echos/107751 "2002-05-07T18:04:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DrummerWannabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/35a633/32.png) [@DrummerWannabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrummerWannabe)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-quacks-and-echos/107751/1 "2002-05-07T18:04:04Z")
I’ve heard (in various environmental education circles) that a duck’s “quack” will not produce an echo. True or false? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-quacks-and-echos/107751/2 "2002-05-07T18:07:51Z")
False. [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5\_071.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_071.html) ---
**Author:** ![Why\_A\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Why\_A\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_A_Duck)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-quacks-and-echos/107751/3 "2002-05-07T18:12:53Z")
* * * ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-quacks-and-echos/107751/4 "2002-05-07T20:06:37Z")
FWIW, I’ve used one of those parabolic reflector microphones to listen to ducks – they come through just fine. ---
**Author:** ![njufoic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/278dde/32.png) [@njufoic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njufoic)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-quacks-and-echos/107751/5 "2002-05-07T20:19:51Z")
I think this one’s getting up there with the “gry” words in terms of questions that people just can’t quit asking 🙂 -Andrew L ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-quacks-and-echos/107751/6 "2002-05-07T22:31:04Z")
There’s a recent email going around with this silly “fact”. I’ve received it twice in the past week or so. I do kind of wish this thing would just DIE! ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-quacks-and-echos/107751/7 "2002-05-07T23:28:58Z")
I hear you njufoic and I raise you a banana skin high and a (relatively new, but) the bachelor being forced to pick the underdog. ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-quacks-and-echos/107751/8 "2002-05-07T23:50:23Z")
Meatros: Huh? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2002, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-quacks-and-echos/107751/9 "2002-05-08T00:24:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mnemosyne \* > \*\*I do kind of wish this thing would just DIE! \*\* But it won’t… _and no one knows why._ ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2002, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-quacks-and-echos/107751/10 "2002-05-08T01:49:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by mnemosyne \* > > **I do kind of wish this thing would just DIE!** > > But it won’t… _and no one knows why._ Not only do Duck Quacks echo, but even the rumor that Duck Quacks don’t echo, echoes. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2002, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-quacks-and-echos/107751/11 "2002-05-08T18:57:31Z")
It was my attempt at humor…I failed miserably. I shall now beat myself… ---
**Author:** ![Spritle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Spritle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spritle)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2002, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-quacks-and-echos/107751/12 "2002-05-08T19:29:02Z")
**WAD** , that was real good. ---
**Author:** ![heptapod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@heptapod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heptapod)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2002, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-quacks-and-echos/107751/13 "2002-05-08T19:30:29Z")
There is a reason why stuff like this continues to be perpetuated among those who don’t know any better. They’re new to the internet, anything that’s emailed to them gets read regardless of the header and they get a “gee whiz” feeling and really want to share that with other people. They hit the magic forward button on their mail client. The people who know better just delete the email, the rest have the same reaction as their greenhorn friend and forward it out to everyone. They don’t know enough to check sources and if there’s a famous name mentioned or an official sounding name ascribed to the email they will just go “Oh, it’s true. I did read it after all.” ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-quacks-and-echos/107751/14 "2002-05-10T19:56:05Z")
Good one Mangetout. Good one Why a duck