dead duck, a
dead duck
1. A person or thing that is useless or hopeless. That new budget bill was a dead duck before it hit the Senate. That mechanic turned out to be a dead duck. He didn't even know how to change my oil.
2. Someone who is about to be in a great deal of trouble for something they have done. When Mom finds out you snuck out of the house to meet your boyfriend, you're going to be a dead duck!
See also: dead, duck
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
dead duck
Fig. someone or something that is certain to die or fail. If I fail that test, I'm a dead duck. When the outlaw drew his pistol, the sheriff knew he was a dead duck.
See also: dead, duck
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
dead duck
1. A person doomed to failure or death; a hopeless case. For example, If they can't find a heart to transplant soon, he's a dead duck. [1940s]
2. A useless, worthless, or outmoded person or thing. For example, They didn't interview the outgoing senator; to the press he's a dead duck. Some speculate that this slangy term comes from an old saying, "Never waste powder on a dead duck," first recorded in 1829.
See also: dead, duck
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
a dead duck
1. If someone or something is a dead duck, they are a failure. The government is a dead duck; and the Supreme National Council does not have the means to govern. The movie's probably a dead duck.
2. Someone who is a dead duck is going to be punished severely. Hit me on the head again, and you're a dead duck.
See also: dead, duck
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
a dead ˈduck
(informal) a plan, an idea, etc. that has failed or is certain to fail and that is therefore not worth discussing: The new supermarket is going to be a dead duck; there’s no demand for one in this area.See also: dead, duck
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
dead duck
n. a person or thing doomed to failure or disaster. This whole plan was a dead duck from the beginning.
See also: dead, duck
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
dead duck, a
A has-been or a loser. The term dates from the second half of the nineteenth century and may have been derived from lame duck. At first it denoted a person whose political influence had declined. Later it simply came to mean someone who has no hope of winning, or who has already lost.
See also: dead
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- a dead duck
- dead duck
- be a dead duck
- quick and the dead
- quick and the dead, the
- the quick and the dead
- play possum
- play possum, to
- possum
- dead men tell no tales