# ducks and drakes

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/ducks-and-drakes
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

The squandering of resources, especially money; used in expressions such as "to make ducks and drakes of", "to play (at) ducks and drakes with".

## Examples

- He is playing ducks and drakes with his savings.
- The manager was fired because he played ducks and drakes with the company's limited budget.
- By making ducks and drakes of his inheritance on foolish investments, he quickly found himself in severe financial distress.

## Origin

The term first appears in 1585, attributed to an association with waterfowl. The precise origin remains unclear, though theories suggest the name may derive from the way ducks take off from a pond, the rings they create when splashing, or the specific motion of bobbing their heads. Early references typically concern the act of "making" ducks and drakes, an phrasing which implies that the concentric circles produced by a skipping stone were thought to resemble those created by a splashing bird. By 1614, the expression had acquired the sense of squandering or throwing away one’s resources. This shift in meaning is said to stem from the image of a man throwing his money away as heedlessly as one might throw stones during the pastime itself. The stones are lost to the water, the money is lost to the whim, and the ducks and drakes remain the only witnesses to the evaporation of the estate. (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.