duck's arse
LowInformal, Slang, Dated
Definition
Meaning
A historical hairstyle for men, popular in the 1950s, in which the hair is swept back at the sides and the back hair is tapered, greased, and combed into a shape resembling a duck's tail.
Used metonymically to refer to the 1950s rock and roll or Teddy Boy youth culture associated with the hairstyle. It is also a dated, mildly vulgar slang term, sometimes used humorously to refer to a person's hairstyle or backside.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a historical/cultural reference. The term is fixed and rarely used literally. It is considered mildly vulgar due to 'arse', but its primary association is with a specific fashion trend.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In American English, the term is almost exclusively 'duck's ass' or 'ducktail' (with 'ass'). The British spelling 'arse' is specific to UK, Ireland, Australia, etc. The hairstyle had the same cultural cachet in both regions under their respective names.
Connotations
In both varieties, it connotes 1950s youth rebellion and rock and roll culture (e.g., Elvis Presley). It carries nostalgic or period-specific connotations.
Frequency
Extremely rare in contemporary active use. Found primarily in historical discussions, pop culture retrospectives, or by older generations. 'DA' was a common abbreviation.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to have a duck's arseto wear one's hair in a duck's arsea duck's arse haircutVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Not applicable for this specific fixed term.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Only in historical, sociological, or cultural studies discussing 1950s fashion and youth subcultures.
Everyday
Rare. Might be used humorously or descriptively by older people or in nostalgic conversation.
Technical
Not used in technical fields (e.g., hairdressing might use 'ducktail' as a technical historical term).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He used loads of Brylcreem to duck's arse his hair before the dance.
American English
- In the movie, the character ducks-assed his hair meticulously.
adverb
British English
- His hair was combed duck's-arse style.
American English
- He styled his hair duck's-ass tight.
adjective
British English
- He had a proper duck's-arse haircut, very Ted.
American English
- The duck's-ass look was all the rage back then.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My grandad has a photo with a duck's arse haircut.
- In old films, you often see men with the duck's arse hairstyle.
- The duck's arse, or DA, was a defining feature of the 1950s British Teddy Boy subculture.
- While the ducktail was quintessentially American, its British counterpart, the duck's arse, was adapted with a distinctly local flair by the Teds.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a duck swimming. The water forms a neat, tapered 'V' shape behind it, just like the slicked-back hair at the nape of the neck in this 50s haircut.
Conceptual Metaphor
BODY PART FOR STYLE (The shape of an animal's rear is mapped onto a human hairstyle for descriptive analogy).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate 'duck's arse' word-for-word (утиная задница) to describe a modern hairstyle, as it is a fixed historical term. Use 'стрижка "утиный хвост"' for clarity.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a general insult (it's primarily a hairstyle name). Incorrectly pluralizing as 'ducks' arses' when referring to the hairstyle on multiple people (preferred: 'they all had duck's arse haircuts').
Practice
Quiz
The term 'duck's arse' is most closely associated with which decade?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is informal and mildly vulgar due to the word 'arse/ass', but its primary use is as a fixed, historical term for a hairstyle, not as a direct insult.
The direct equivalent is 'duck's ass' (using 'ass' instead of 'arse'). The more common neutral term is 'ducktail' or the abbreviation 'DA'.
Historically, it was an almost exclusively male style. In modern retro fashion, women might adopt elements of it, but it is still strongly coded as a masculine, mid-20th-century look.
It is named for its visual resemblance. The hair at the back of the head is combed to a central, tapered point, which was thought to look like the rear end of a duck.