Water off a duck's back Smithsonian Photo Contest Smithsonian Magazine


Water off a Duck's Back Photograph by David Bearden

Put or get someone's back up. Back the wrong horse. Fish out of water. Dead in the water. Keep your head above water. Water under the bridge. Water over the dam. Fall off the back of a lorry. Break your duck.


Water Off A Duck's Back I Photograph by Debbie Oppermann Pixels

be (like) water off a duck's back. To be a fleeting presence; to not have a lasting impact on someone or something. I envy my sister because any criticism or judgment is like water off a duck's back to her. See also: back, off, water.


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like water off a duck's back. Easily, smoothly, without ill effect. This expression, dating from the early nineteenth century, alludes to the way a duck's feathers shed water. Charles Kingsley used it in The Water Babies (1863), "When men are men of the world, hard words run off them like water off a duck's back.".


Water off a ducks back I had heard the saying 'like wateโ€ฆ Flickr

be (like) water off a duck's back meaning: If criticisms, insults, etc are like water off a duck's back to you, they do not affect you at all: . Learn more.


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Water off a duck's back definition: . See examples of WATER OFF A DUCK'S BACK used in a sentence.


Water Off a Duck's Back Photograph by Paul Kahl Fine Art America

Origin of Water Off a Duck's Back. This expression originated in the 1800s. It comes from the literal characteristic that duck feathers have for resisting water. If you have ever observed a duck, you may have noticed that no matter how often the duck dives under the water, it comes back up looking quite dry.


Water off a duck's back Photograph by Karl Barth Fine Art America

English [edit] Etymology [edit]. From the idea that water rolls easily off a duck's back and does not penetrate the duck's feathers. Noun [edit]. water off a duck 's back (uncountable). Something potentially harmful or hurtful, such as criticism or insult, that nevertheless has no effect or impact on the target.


Water Off A Duck's Back Photograph by Debbie Oppermann Fine Art America

(LIKE) WATER OFF A DUCK'S BACK definition: 1. criticisms of or warnings to a particular person that have no effect on that person: 2โ€ฆ. Learn more.


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Many people claim that insults or negative comments are like water off a duck's back, but in reality, many of them are. a. pleased by such things. b. upset by such things. c. unaffected by such things. Learn idioms easily with.


Water off a Ducks back. Photograph by Stephen McLean Pixels

749. The phrase "like water off a duck's back" refers to not letting criticism have an effect, but does water literally roll off a duck's back? In this Deep Look episode from KQED, the reasons why duck feathers resist water are explained: It's the structures and density of aquatic bird feathers, as well as their "obsessive" preening.


Water off a duck's back Smithsonian Photo Contest Smithsonian Magazine

(simile, colloquial, idiomatic) Without immediate or lasting effects. 1919, Lucy Maud Montgomery, chapter 18, in Rainbow Valley: "She combs me down with her tongue sometimes though, but that just slips off me like water off a duck's back." 2009 January 2, Jan Espeut, "The honeymoon is over", in Jamaica Gleaner, retrieved 20 Jan. 2009: Scandal after.


Wateroffaducksback Mallard duck bob Flickr

Informal without effect.. Click for English pronunciations, examples sentences, video.


Water Off A Ducks Back Photograph by Allan Levin Fine Art America

For example, 'No matter what they say, it's like "water off a duck's back" to her.' However, in informal conversations, people might understand the phrase even if used alone, like saying 'Just let it roll off like "water off a duck's back"!' to imply not letting something bother you.


On Black Water Off a Duck's Back by neilalderney123 [Large]

WATER OFF A DUCK'S BACK definition: something that has little or no effect | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples


Water Off A Ducks Back 2 Photograph by HH Photography of Florida

The meaning of (LIKE) WATER OFF A DUCK'S BACK is having no effect on someone. How to use (like) water off a duck's back in a sentence.


Water off a Duck's Back stock image. Image of happy, happiness 8702043

like water off a duck's back. phrase. You say that criticism is like water off a duck's back or water off a duck's back to emphasize that it is not having any effect on the person being criticized. [emphasis] All the criticism is water off a duck's back to me. See full dictionary entry for duck.

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