ducks and drakes
LowIdiomatic (especially for the metaphorical use)
Definition
Meaning
A game in which flat stones are thrown across water so they skim along the surface.
To play ducks and drakes with something is to treat it recklessly or wastefully, especially money.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The literal sense is a children's pastime (stone skimming). The metaphorical sense implies frivolous or careless squandering.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is known in both dialects but is more culturally established in British English. The game itself is universal, but the phrase is slightly more frequent in UK contexts.
Connotations
In both dialects, the metaphorical use carries a negative, often moralistic, connotation of waste and irresponsibility.
Frequency
The metaphorical use is more common than literal reference to the game in modern usage.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
play [OBJ: ducks and drakes] with [OBJ: something (e.g., money, resources)]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “play ducks and drakes with something”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Critical of financial mismanagement, e.g., 'The board accused him of playing ducks and drakes with the company's reserves.'
Academic
Used in historical or sociological texts discussing leisure or critiques of economic behaviour.
Everyday
Most likely heard in its metaphorical sense to criticise wasteful spending.
Technical
Not typical. The literal game might be referenced in physics or sports science regarding projectile motion and surface tension.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The heir played ducks and drakes with his inheritance.
- The council should not make ducks and drakes of public funds.
American English
- He's been playing ducks and drakes with his savings.
- The scheme played ducks and drakes with investors' money.
adverb
British English
- The money was spent ducks-and-drakes, with little to show for it.
- He managed the account ducks-and-drakes.
American English
- They invested ducks-and-drakes, ignoring all advice.
- The funds were allocated ducks-and-drakes across too many ventures.
adjective
British English
- His ducks-and-drakes approach to finance ruined him.
- It was a piece of ducks-and-drakes legislation.
American English
- The project suffered from a ducks-and-drakes funding strategy.
- Her ducks-and-drakes attitude toward budgeting was alarming.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The children played ducks and drakes at the lake.
- He played ducks and drakes with his pocket money and soon had none left.
- The government was accused of playing ducks and drakes with the environmental budget.
- Her ducks-and-drakes management of the trust fund drew severe criticism from the trustees.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a reckless person throwing money onto a pond like skipping stones—money disappearing with each bounce.
Conceptual Metaphor
RESOURCES ARE STONES FOR SKIMMING (frivolous, transient contact with value).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate literally as "утки и селезни". For the game, use "игра в камешки" or "пускать блинчики". For the idiom, use "разбазаривать" or "пускать на ветер".
Common Mistakes
- Using 'play ducks and drakes' without 'with' (e.g., 'He played ducks and drakes the money').
- Confusing it with the literal birds (ducks).
- Using it in a positive sense.
Practice
Quiz
What does 'to play ducks and drakes with something' typically express?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily, but it can extend to any valuable resource (time, opportunities, trust) treated with similar recklessness.
It originates from the 16th-century name for the game of stone skimming, likening the bouncing stones to waterfowl. The metaphorical use developed from the idea of throwing something away frivolously.
The metaphorical use is acceptable in semi-formal and formal contexts as a vivid idiom for wastefulness. The literal use is neutral.
Yes, common names include 'stone skipping', 'skimming stones', 'stone skimming', and regionally 'throwing dibbers' or 'making frog jumps'.