ducks and drakes

Friendly

Word: Ducks and Drakes

Part of Speech: Noun

Simple Definition: "Ducks and drakes" is a game where people throw a flat stone or pebble on calm water to make it bounce. The goal is to see how many times you can make it skip across the surface before it sinks.

Usage Instructions:

• When using "ducks and drakes," you can refer to the game itself, or you can use it in a more figurative sense to describe playful or carefree behavior.

Example:

• Literal use: "We spent the afternoon playing ducks and drakes by the lake, trying to see whose stone would skip the most times."
• Figurative use: "He was just playing ducks and drakes with his money, not thinking about saving for the future."

Advanced Usage:

In a more advanced context, "ducks and drakes" can also refer to engaging in reckless or irresponsible behavior, like wasting resources or acting carelessly.

Word Variants:

• There are no direct variants of the phrase "ducks and drakes," but you might encounter similar phrases related to playful activities or games.

Different Meaning:

While "ducks and drakes" primarily refers to the stone-skipping game, it can also imply being frivolous or carefree about serious matters.

Synonyms:

• Stone skipping
• Pebble tossing (not a direct synonym but related to the activity)

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

There aren’t specific idioms or phrasal verbs that directly relate to "ducks and drakes." However, you might consider expressions like "to throw caution to the wind," which conveys a similar sense of carefree behavior.

Conclusion:

"Ducks and drakes" is a fun and light-hearted term that evokes images of sunny days spent by the water, enjoying simple pleasures.

Academic

Noun

1. a game in which a flat stone is bounced along the surface of calm water