rubber ducking

Definition

The shortened form of rubber duck debugging, now a verb. The act of solving your own problem by explaining it out loud, ideally to a bath toy but technically anything inanimate works.

Example Usage

I was rubber ducking the API issue to my coffee mug when I realized the problem was staring me in the face.

Origin

Verbal evolution of 'rubber duck debugging' from 'The Pragmatic Programmer' (1999)

Fun Fact

Some developers keep increasingly elaborate rubber duck collections, leading to offices that look like toy stores run by people who make six figures.

Source: Software development practices and debugging techniques

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