Ruptured Duck
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The nickname in World War II for the American ex-service lapel button issued to all demobilized from the forces.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Ruptured Duck” mean?
The nickname in World War II for the American ex-service lapel button issued to all demobilized from the forces.
Is “Ruptured Duck” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.