ducks and drakes
Americannoun
idioms
noun
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a game in which a flat stone is bounced across the surface of water
-
to use recklessly; squander or waste
Etymology
Origin of ducks and drakes
First recorded in 1575–85; from a fancied likeness to a waterfowl's movements
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"This is another step in the right direction of transparent pension accounting and reduces the scope for people to play ducks and drakes," he said.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 29, 2010
From their benches, the forgotten aged stare across the little lake into the sun or watch in silence the absurd parade of ducks and drakes or the wheeling Frisbees in the sky.
From Time Magazine Archive
We threw more stones, went to the water’s edge, flung ducks and drakes, and fished for driftwood.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
Some stood by the edge of the water, for the oak was within a few yards of the New Sea, and alternately made ducks and drakes, and turned to contradict their friends.
From Bevis The Story of a Boy by Richard Jefferies
They want to be rid of me so that my dutiful daughter and son-in-law may play ducks and drakes with my fortune!
From The Sword of Honor, volumes 1 & 2 or The Foundation of the French Republic, A Tale of The French Revolution by Eug?ne Sue
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
