ducking

English

Etymology

By surface analysis, duck +‎ -ing.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdʌkɪŋ/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌkɪŋ

Etymology 1

Verb

ducking

1. present participle and gerund of duck

Noun

ducking (countable and uncountable, plural duckings)

1. An instance of ducking down, e.g. to hide.
2. An instance of ducking (a person in water, etc).

   They gave him a ducking in the river as a punishment.

Derived terms

• ducking coat
• ducking stool
• rubber ducking
• rubber-ducking

 

Etymology 2

Suggested by predictive text or autocorrect on some devices.

Adjective

ducking (not comparable)

1. (slang, humorous) Euphemistic form of fucking.
   • 2015, El Castor, “Re: China sending fighter jets to Syria to assist Russia”, in soc.retirement (Usenet):

     You are the ducking idiot here.

   • 2023 June 7, Callie Holtermann, quoting Craig Federighi, “Apple Knows You Didn’t Mean to Type ‘Ducking’”, in The New York Times‎^[3], →ISSN:

     “In those moments where you just want to type a ducking word, well, the keyboard will learn it, too,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president for software engineering.

Etymology 3

Nominalization of duck (verb), a denominal verb of duck (noun), from ellipsis of rubber duck, from rubber +‎ duck (noun).

Noun

ducking (plural duckings)

1. The act of surreptitiously leaving a rubber duck on someone's parked Jeep as an act of kindness (see Jeep ducking).
   • 2020 July 29, Susannah Sudborough, “It may sound quacky, but Jeep ducking is a real thing and it's right here in Taunton”, in Taunton Daily Gazette‎^[4], Taunton, Massachusetts:

     Parliament said she hopes ducking becomes a regular part of Jeep culture, similar to the notorious "Jeep wave" that Wrangler owners are known to do on the road to say "hi" to one another.

   • 2022 September 13, Breana Noble, “'World's largest rubber duck' at Detroit auto show celebrates Jeep 'ducking' movement”, in The Detroit News‎^[5]:

     She's gone out ducking with friends and family on shopping trips, in hospital parking lots and at Bishop International Airport in Flint, handing out more than 100 of the quackers.

Related terms

• rubber ducking