ducks and drakes
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ducks and drakes
Where it comes from
1585, due to association with waterfowl. The precise origin is unclear, and may be from ducks taking off from a pond, or making rings when splashing, or bobbing their heads. Early references are primarily to “making” ducks and drakes, suggesting that the circular rings produced by the skipping stone resemble those created by splashing waterfowl.
Sense “to squander, to throw away” shortly thereafter, attested 1614, from sense of “throwing money away, as if throwing stones away in this pastime”.
noun
-
A pastime of throwing flat stones across water so as to make them bounce off the surface.
A kind of sport or play with an oister shell or stone throwne into the water, and making circles yer it sinke, etc. It is called a ducke and a drake, and a halfe-penie cake.
Similar: stone skipping, stone skimming, stone skiffing, drakestoning
-
The squandering of resources, especially money; used in expressions such as "to make ducks and drakes of", "to play (at) ducks and drakes with".
This royal Caesar doth regard no cash; Has thrown away as much in ducks and drakes As would have bought some 50,000 capons.
Similar: squandering, wasting
Translations
Every language
noun pastime
| Español | cabrillas |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 물수제비 mulsujebi |
| 日本語 | 水切り mizukiri |
| 中文 | 打水漂 dǎ shuǐpiāo |
| Deutsch | Steinehüpfen, Steineflitschen, Ditschen |
| Русский | печь блины́ pečʹ bliný, бли́нчики blínčiki, пуска́ние бли́нчиков puskánije blínčikov |
noun squandering
| 中文 | 打水漂 dǎ shuǐpiāo |
|---|
Talk about this word "ducks and drakes." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/ducks%20and%20drakes. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. ducks and drakes. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/ducks%20and%20drakes "ducks and drakes." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/ducks%20and%20drakes.Cite this
@misc{ducks_and_drakes_2026,
title = {ducks and drakes},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/ducks%20and%20drakes},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
