It's as easy as duck soup, or is it?

By CLP

Where did the saying “It's as easy as duck soup” come from and what exactly does it mean? Stumbling across this saying in an advertisement in Popular Mechanics magazine from the late 1940s, one assumes it is in reference to the ability to use the product for sale. Must one use the tool to make the soup? Must one consume the soup before operating heavy machinery? All these questions and more will be answered as we delve into the strange and wonderful world of idioms, cartoons and classic films.

In order to properly begin the search, Roget's New Millennium Thesauras was consulted. It gives the following synonyms for “(as) easy as duck soup,” “breeze, cakewalk, cherry pie, child's play, cinch, easy, kid stuff, no sweat, no brainer, picnic, pie, piece of cake, pushover, snap, turkey shoot, velvet, walkover and waltz.” Therefore, duck soup must be used in reference to something not difficult and requires little effort. It is interesting to note that within the synonyms there are other references to food. Does that imply that the preparation of food is simple and uncomplicated? Most professional chefs would certainly disagree.

As the library does not house Popular Mechanics magazine for more than two years, I was unable to replicate here the original ad that sparked the research. However, during my research, I came across an advertisement for Duck Soup hand cleaner. I found it important to include as it clearly explains the intentions behind the brand name.“It's DUCK SOUP with Duck Soup hand cleaner” as it removes grease and removes paint. Using this product would make one jump up in the air with both feet and jazz hands raised in excitement!

The first recorded use of this idiom was in a cartoon by TAD in 1902. An idiom is an expression or phrase whose meaning cannot be understood by the literal definitions but rather from the figurative meaning. Thomas Aloysius Dorgan, April 29, 1877 – May 2, 1929, may not have invented the saying “as easy as duck soup,” he was the genius behind many popular expressions such as “for crying out loud”, “dumbbell”and the less used and the equally confusing “as busy as a one-armed paperhanger” meaning someone who is overworked.

Though I was unable to find a print or on-line copy of his cartoon, I did find a description. The cartoon shows a man in a Police Court juggling a bottle, pitcher, plate and salt shaker with the caption “Duck Soup.” Now, that unlike the ad above, does not clearly explain anything. Does it imply how easy it is to entertain or persuade the police? Does it refer to the ability of the criminal to balance a certain lifestyle? Does it mean the individual wishes to make duck soup with the utensils he's throwing into the air? We will never know as TAD took the explanation of this cartoon to his grave.

Richard A. Spears writes, “when a duck is cooked, it releases a lot of fat and juices, making a “soup” without effort.” (14). One could make the connection between the rich and fatty broth to actual riches. It is much easier to accomplish one's goals when the funds are ready and available but I digress.

The true recipe for duck soup seems to be equivalent to chicken soup. One must boil the carcass of the duck for several hours in a vat of water, removing the bones after several hours. The meat is then chopped and then returned to the pot. One then washes and chops a selection of vegetables, such as carrots (though I would not recommend this evil root), potatoes, celery, cabbage, zuccini, and onions and adds them to the fatty broth. Some cooks even add extra duck blood to the soup for flavour. Herbs such as bay leaf, sage, thyme and oregano can season the broth as needed. After further simmering for an hour, one can vary the recipe by adding wine, such as a Sauvignon Blanc, to taste. Duck soup is easy to eat as the pieces of meat and vegetables are in bite size pieces. The Brome Lake Ducks website indicates where one can purchase the famous treat of the Eastern Townships but does not actually offer for sale Duck Soup or make mention of a recipe either.
Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable points out the allusion may also be to a 'sitting duck' as an easy target. (421). The image of the sitting duck on the water is dualistic. A duck on the open water is an easy target for hunters as it can only escape certain death by ducking into the water as there are no plants around for protection. Secondly, one can view a body of water as a natural soup bowl, flavoured by the flora and fauna found within. Therefore, in this sense, duck soup, as a delicacy, is quite easy to obtain as one merely has to scoop up some lake water.

On an interesting side note, the duck seems to be a favourite among American idioms. There are several references to this fine feathered friend in such statements, “as a duck takes to water,” “dead duck,” “lame duck,” “like water off a duck's back,” “sitting duck,” and “ugly duckling”. What makes the duck so special. It is a member of the Anatidae family which includes most waterfowl. They have a life span of two to twelve years depending on the type of duck. They range size and shape and come in a variety of colours and sexes. Ducks can swim and float, are waterproof and may actually be smarter than dolphins. Are ducks the key to understanding our civilization?

Perhaps the most famous use of the phrase “Duck Soup” comes from the 1933 Marx Brothers movie of the same name. The four Marx Brothers, Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo, appear under the opening credits as four quacking ducks swimming and cooking in a kettle over a fire. Groucho gives the following recipe in an attempt to explain the title: “Take two turkeys, one goose, four cabbages, but no duck, and mix them together. After one taste, you'll duck soup for the rest of your life." In this case, Groucho means one should avoid this arrangement for the rest of time.

This film is a satire of blundering dictatorial leaders, Facism and authoritarian government. The Marx brothers attack the absurdity of government, wars fought over petty matters and arbitrary legal systems. This makes one think back to the TAD cartoon of the man juggling so many objects. When corrupt government attempts to juggle too many problems at once it is only a matter of time before everything hits the floor. Therefore, thinking it is “duck soup” to manage a country shows how much of a “no-brainer” you truly are.
Daffy Duck stars in Duck Soups to Nuts, 1944, a parody of the Marx Brothers film. Daffy avoids the barrel of Porky Pig's shot gun by stating, “I'm not just your ordinary, meat-on-the-table duck. I'm gifted. I'm just slopping over with talent.” While other ducks simply float around on the water, Daffy is busy filing his nails, which is a clear example of how amazing he truly is.

In conclusion, life can be easy as duck soup and also as complicated as duck soup. Though this saying was truly only remotely popular for a very brief period of time, I believe it is up to the next generation make it known and widely used again. If not, let me suggest some alternative phrases which could be put into the lexicon of 2008, “as easy as walking through plate-glass windows,” “as easy as walking in size 13 rubber boots,” “as easy as The Burt,” or “as easy as opening a beer with a belt buckle.”

FIN

Bibliography

Ayto, John, ed. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 7^th edition. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. London, 2005.

Brome Lake Ducks LTD. http://www.bromelakeducks.com

“Cartoonist, Dies In His Sleep.” New York Times. May 3, 1929.

McCarey, Leo. Dir. Duck Soup. Marx Brothers, USA 1933.

Roget's New Millennium Thesauras. 1^st edition. Lexico, 2008.

Spears, Richard. A. Straight from the Horse's Mouth and 8,500 Other Colorful Idioms. NTC Publishing Group. Illinois, 1997.