[Vocabulary] how to use "old duck" idiomaically

[narender gade]

HOW TO USE "OLD DUCK " IDIOMATICALLY

 

[bhaisahab]

What makes you think it can be used idiomatically?

 

[MikeNewYork]

Do you have a context for us?

 

[Rover_KE]

Welcome to the forum, narender gade.

Please turn Caps Lock off — it's like you are shouting at us. Additionally, we need to know whether you can use capital letters correctly.

Your question should look like this:

How can I use "old duck" idiomatically?

Note the capital letter to begin the question and the mandatory punctuation mark at the end. Do not start a question with 'How to...'

 

[TheParser]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Hello, Narender Gade:

There was a discussion about "old duck" in this forum in March, 2008.

Please go to the Google search engine and type in these words: "Old duck" -- UsingEnglish.com

 

[Barb_D]

I do use "odd duck" as in "yeah, he's a bit of an odd duck but we all love him anyway" to mean "a bit strange."

 

[MikeNewYork]

That might be the answer!

 

[Rover_KE]

Only if the OP wants to change his question from 'old duck' to 'odd duck'.

 

[MikeNewYork]

We have not come up with much. A typo is a reasonable possibility.

 

[Rover_KE]

TheParser has come up with a very good suggestion.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I read that thread. It was short and not very helpful.

 

[Rover_KE]

I found MrPedantic's post spot on:

Some (older) BrE speakers use "duck" or "duckie" (or "ducks") as a familiar term for the addressee, in conversation. The speaker is almost always female.

Some (again, older) male BrE speakers use "old duck" as a term of affection for their wives.

"Old duck" can also be used as a synonym for "old chap"; but this is very rare.

These usages belong to very particular contexts and kinds of speaker; also, they now have a slightly old-fashioned air. So it's probably better for an ESL student to avoid them!

 

[Tdol]

Where I come from me (= my) duck can be used to show friendliness when speaking to people, and the phrase eh up, (= hello) me duck is the standard phrase given to illustrate the dialect. However, it is mostly confined to older people from some parts of the Midlands, so I wouldn't bother to use it unless you can adopt the accent.

Here is the singer Kevin Coyne from Derby singing a song celebrating the phrase, with the correct pronunciation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1BOBK8iBQU

 

[MikeNewYork]

Another BrE/AmE difference.

 

[Tdol]

It's largely dated dialect IMO.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Seems so.