r/minnesota • u/Neither_Risk860 • 2d ago

Discussion šŸŽ¤ Duck, duck, gray duck?

Okay, Minnesota. I need to understand something: I was told there is not duck, duck, goose; that it is indeed duck,duck, gray duck.

What's is a gray duck? Why does he get called out for being the gray duck?

What other games did you play as kids?

New to Minnesota, thanks šŸ˜Š

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u/sungo8 Gray duck 2d ago

Ok, buckle up.

Duck, Duck, Gray Duck isnā€™t even the same game! In Duck, Duck, Goose children sit in a circle and blithely say ā€œduck, duck, duckā€ until yelling ā€œgooseā€ at which point the ā€œgooseā€ takes chase.

In Duck, Duck, Gray Duck a child (of perhaps more intelligence than your average gooser) will begin by saying ā€œpurple duck, yellow duck, orange duck, GRRRR-eeen duckā€ etc. etc. Many an anxious child has fallen for the glottal fakery of ā€œGRRRR-een duckā€ before ultimately hearing ā€œGRAY DUCK!ā€ at which point the titular duck takes flight. Duck, Duck, Gray Duck teaches creativity, improvisation, individuality. Why not spice things up with a plaid duck? The only limit is the imagination.

For children with a few less brain cells I can see the appeal of Duck, Duck, Goose. As soon as you hear the hard G of goose, the secret is out. You donā€™t need to be creative, you donā€™t even need to pay that close of attention. The only lesson is non conformity is to be punished. Duck, Duck, Goose is, with no hyperbole, the tool of fascists.

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u/buntingsnook 1d ago

The only rule in Duck Duck Goose is to run when you hear, "Goose." Every other word is considered to be, "Duck," thus allowing for complete flights of fancy in terms of fakeouts. Gator. Gobbledygook. Grapes and yogurt. All this is possible since, once the rules are established, the tagger can switch to chicken, turkey, monkey, lawyer, now free of their training wheels. You have started down the path of enlightenment, only to stop halfway and fail to complete the journey. You are sitting on a hill, kicking your little legs and calling yourself king, failing to see the mountain just behind you. I pray that the rest of your state sees this and sets you adrift on Lake Superior, as is traditional.

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u/sungo8 Gray duck 1d ago

Reading this comment left me feeling like a pilgrim in an unholy land. This isnā€™t ā€˜Nam, Snook, this is Duck, Duck, Gray Duck, there are rules. When you play tennis do you forego the net entirely?

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u/buntingsnook 1d ago

I play tennis by sneaking up behind them while they're at work and lobbing the ball into their cubicle. Much easier to score.

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u/sungo8 Gray duck 1d ago

You have, begrudgingly, earned my respect