Ducks in a row
It’s how things line up (1961.Hollywood casting call/Los Angeles Times/UCLA lib/USPD/Commons.wikimedia.org)
Ducks in a row. Why is that the preference?
You need a power washer following behind them.
So much more sense to use cats. It works. Except for those who think.
Thoughts stray as much as kittens.
Cute when little, fresh, and young, but can they nag, get demanding, and even stink when old.
Ask any writer.
Ducks simply fly away if attention turns.
Cats, kittens, and ideas may stray, but once they decide they belong to you, you’re stuck with them.
All of them start out fuzzy: ideas, kittens, and ducks
Then they shed and shred while growing into themselves.
Ducks in a row. A term created by hunters?
For which, sport?
Straight line from opening to rising action – climbing to great heights before some conclusion.
Before coming too close to the sun. Too high in the tree.
Offer no leashes for ducks, cats, or thoughts.
Good line.
Phil, the Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge
No jesses. ©
35 Comments
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Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge 
thoughts can be really like cats… they can hiss at you and they sometimes leave some scratches on our soul … do you know what the black cats in that first photo had to do to be in a movie? That’s not easy for the casting director to make a decision…
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Great picture of all the cats for the CATsting call. Ha! Up here in Canada it would be Loonies in a row – Ha! (Our $1 coin has a picture of the bird Loon on it – hence, Loonie)
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We get the Loonies flying in for the winter here…the feathered ones. The two legged ones we can’t seem to run off. Those felines were pretty pawsome, indeed. Thanks for leaving a tale
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Very hard to herd thoughts into the right direction. They are as unruly as cats.
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The term “scatter brain” had to come from somewhere…not cats. Cats are focused on being rebels and divas…teenagers must secretly study them. Thanks for rounding up a few words to leave
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Ideas I have plenty of. Now if I could only have a cat too. Dang hubby’s allergies.
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Maybe if you had a cat, all the wandering vibes would be absorbed by the felines and leave your ideas alone? Ideas are nothing to sneeze at, though.(sorry, had to say it) Thanks for plotting out a comment for this page
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We love cats, but no more here because of Right Angle’s propensity for nasal polyps. … Oh … Hi Carrie.
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Oh dear, I give up, Frank. On the other hand, I guess it means I was just too efficient getting to posts today. 😉
(Frank and I have a little comment tag going on, Phil.)
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It was fun! … 🙂
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It’s funny who you run into while traveling around the village…like we all have the same grocery lists
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That casting call photo is hilarious. Getting my ducks in a row today before the weekend!
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Not sure which if more hilarious: the cats or the women. Let organization fly and just enjoy the days! Thanks for flying in to chat
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I find it impossible to herd cats, difficult to get my ducks in a row, but am able to shoot fish in a barrel. So I got that going for me. 😉
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And the sharks have heard about it….and know where you live…
Hey cats eat fish right? (This is getting too close to Rock, Paper, Scissors. So wrapping it up)
Thanks for lining up a few words to leave
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Those cats never would tolerate a casting call in Houston — at least, not at this time of year. For one thing, everyone knows not to wear black in this heat!
As for lining up thoughts, cats, or ducks generally, I thought this was interesting: “The most popular theory suggests that “ducks in a row” came from the world of sports, specifically bowling. Early bowling pins were often shorter and thicker than modern pins, which led to the nickname ducks.
Before the advent of automatic resetting machines, these “duck pins” would be manually put back into place between bowling rounds. Therefore, having one’s ducks in a row would be a metaphor for having all of the bowling pins organized and properly placed before sending the next ball down the lane. Many bowling alleys still offer “duck pin” lanes with smaller bowling balls and shorter pins.”
How about that?
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Duck, duck , goose. About the extent of my bowling skills.
Hey it’s supposed to be cooler today – by one or two degrees.Gave in and bought Molly and the German a new wading pool…which like bathing suits are apparently scarce in stores after July 4th. (Confirms my belief that Big Lots is not always cheaper than Target.)
WP is once again a mystery. The cats were supposed to be the pix on Reader’s summary. And it’s the larger one, so why? (It’s really a seagull not a duck…his name may be Jonathan, though.) Oh, well.
Thanks for bowling us over with the ducking info!
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I’m sure you’ve already read this: http://www.wisegeek.org/where-did-the-term-get-your-ducks-in-a-row-come-from.htm
If you haven’t, it’s very entertaining, although of course inconclusive!
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That’s a great link. As a kid I always thought it was either the mother ducks organizing the duckling or a hunter’s wish that all the ducks would fly up in a line so maybe he’d actually be able to hit one – any one. (Not serious duck hunters in the family). Hope your summer is pleasant and cooler than here. Even the ducks are wilting from heat. Thanks for making way for a duckling comment
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I would think if you TRIED to put cats in a row they would just look at you disdainfully then turn away.
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Now that’s what make that photo even stranger. RC Cat maintains that image is a hoax and those are stuffed cats walking space aliens. She has sources. We do not question. Thanks for sending a me-how.
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I agree with RC.
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Always best to….
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This was cool, thank you! And that photograph is great… it’s like looking at a glitch in the matrix!
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Appreciate the kind words. Your cat was probably quick to point out that the women are leashed and being lead around, not the other way around…(all done with crowd hypnosis…don’t let on you’re aware of the situation). Thanks for wandering this way
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In a perfect world I would have a cat to remind me of my humble place in life… to serve, ducks for their eggs and appetite for garden snails and slugs, and time and space to corral those pesky words.
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It would be such a piece able place. (If the ducks promise to eat the slugs and snails, power washing available…and a small wading pool to splash their down in after snacking….they would leave the commas alone, right?) Thanks for organizing these rows
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ha! tweeting the line with link to this post, “Offer no leashes for ducks, cats, or thoughts.” good brain food!
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Quackers for your thoughts. Appreciate you tweeting along. Thanks
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I’ve learned if I don’t get those thoughts down and in a row, there’s a good chance they’ll disappear. I’d hate to think I’ve lost some really good ones….
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They run off so fast! Chasing them should count as aerobic exercise…at least brain training. Sometimes retracing actual steps…or trying to read scribbles on giblets of paper. Foolish ideas – didn’t recognize a good home when they saw it! Thanks for chasing down a few words to leave here
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I always thought it was ‘dukes’. Like “put your dukes up”.
OK, just kidding, Phil.
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Dukes? Can we say “dukes” any more? I mean it’s sort of not PC with “Dukes of Hazard” being caught in the Confederate flag protests…probably just as well – it’s a snooty aristocracy term that has no place in the modern world. Time to put the dukes up. (Giggles, just kidding – thanks for fighting your way over to add a comment!)
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We’re gonna have to duke it out over the use of that term.
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Nothing can stop the duke: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bw55sR4ec8
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