It has been brought to my attention (Thank you, Grandma Kc!!) that I may have confused you the other day when I used the term puddle-duck...
I can only excuse myself by saying that I was feeling particularly mellow after a wonderful family weekend of company and an especially good brunch of cornmeal pancakes.
Anyway, to clear up any confusion, here's what "puddle-duck" means. It truly is a great expression! Here's how I used it.
..."This morning, we had a late brunchie breakfast after puddle-ducking around in our jammies. (That's the best part of a long weekend!!)"...
You probably get the general drift of how we spent most of the morning lounging around and chatting, having a second (or third!) cup of coffee, etc.
"Laze around" would probably be the best substitute...
laze |leɪz|
verb [ intrans. ]
spend time in a relaxed, lazy manner : she spent the day at home, reading the papers and generally lazing around.
If "puddle-duck" had not popped into my head, I might likely have used the expression "mulch around" but that must be Canadian as well for the only definition for that word in my dictionary is...
mulch |mʌl(t)ʃ|
noun
a material (such as decaying leaves, bark, or compost) spread around or over a plant to enrich or insulate the soil.
Note: There was definitely no mulch involved the morning we made the cornmeal pancakes!
Grandma Kc's remark did leave me a little befuddled. Where exactly did puddle-ducking come from? It must be my British roots. A Puddle-Duck is actually a plain old duck and we all know how they love swimming around aimlessly in circles. Then there's Beatrix Potter's Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck. (We generally just think of Peter Rabbit when we think of Beatrix.) A Puddle-Duck Racer is a kind of boat enjoyed in Britain. Little children in the United Kingdom can take Puddle-Duck swimming lessons. (Do only American children learn how to dog paddle?)
Anyway, Grandma Kc, I'm a little tongue-tied now, so I'll mention in advance some other British expressions I've been known to use on occasion:
...the bee's knees - something great, wonderful or exciting. "Well, isn't that the bee's knees!"
..."Oh, a man on a galloping horse..." - what my mother would say if I wondered someone would notice something slightly crooked, shabby or not perfect. After all, if a man is galloping by on a horse, he's not going to be able to see ANYTHING closely!
..."six of one, half a dozen of another" - what I would say (as a mother) to my own kids. It doesn't really matter WHICH one you pick! They're both the same! It doesn't make a difference.
..."There's more than one way to skin a cat!" - Oh, dear! I don't actually use this one anymore. It really just means there's more than one way to do something. One of the first times I used this one outside of family, I realized people were taking me literally. No, folks, I DO NOT skin cats! I like cats!
Enough said! Isn't language wonderful? Have a great day, everyone!
Linguistically yours,
Maggie
