ducks and drakes
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Sense 1
to spend or waste money recklessly
Examples
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.
Sense 2
To make ducks and drakes: a school-boy's amusement, practised with pieces of tile, oyster-shells, or flattish stones, which being skimmed along the surface of a pond, or still river, rebound many times. To make ducks and drakes of one's money; to throw it idly away.
Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Sense 3
"to make DUCKS AND DRAKES of one’s money," to throw it away childishly—derived from children "shying" flat stones on the surface of a pool, which they call DUCKS AND DRAKES, according to the number of skips they make.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “ducks and drakes” mean?
to spend or waste money recklessly Literally: skimming stones on water
Is “ducks and drakes” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.