all duck or no dinner
All or nothing.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He bets all his money on one game, all duck or no dinner.”
“She decided to quit her job to start a business, choosing to go all duck or no dinner.”
“The entrepreneur approached the high-stakes negotiation with an all duck or no dinner attitude, fully aware that failure would result in total ruin.”
first recorded 19th c.
Attested in Australian English c. 1895. The phrase records a binary approach to success, though its specific avian or culinary origins are not further detailed in the record.
- 01
break one's duck
To do something for the first time.
- 02
dead duck
One who is in serious danger or trouble.
- 03
duck down
To crouch in order to hide or protect oneself.
- 04
duck off
To lie low; to hide.
- 05
duck out
To depart quickly or exit abruptly, especially in a manner which does not attract notice and before a meeting, event, etc. has concluded.
- 06
duck soup
Something which is easy; a piece of cake.
- 07
ducked off
Lying low; hidden.
- 08
ducks and drakes
The squandering of resources, especially money; used in expressions such as "to make ducks and drakes of", "to play (at) ducks and drakes with".
Last updated August 10, 2026