ducks and drakes

== English == === Etymology === 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 === ducks and drakes (uncountable) A pastime of throwing flat stones across water so as to make them bounce off the surface. Synonyms: stone skipping, stone skimming, stone skiffing, drakestoning 1585, The nomenclator, or remembrancer of Adrianus Junius, John Higgins: 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. (idiomatic, informal) The squandering of resources, especially money; used in expressions such as "to make ducks and drakes of", "to play (at) ducks and drakes with". Synonyms: squandering, wasting ==== Derived terms ==== play ducks and drakes with make ducks and drakes of one's money drakestone (a flat stone suitable for skimming across water). ==== Translations ==== === References === Gary Martin (1997–), “Play ducks and drakes”, in The Phrase Finder, retrieved 26 February 2017. Michael Quinion (June 26, 2004), “Ducks and drakes”, in World Wide Words. === Further reading === Stone skipping on Wikipedia.Wikipedia