duck's frost

• duck-frost

duck's frost

1. A slight frost visible in the morning; (jocularly) rain (overnight).
   • 1880, Richard Jefferies, The gamekeeper at home, sketches of natural history and rural life [signed R.J.]., page 146:

     The weather most unsuitable is that kind of frost which comes on in the early morning, and is accompanied with some rime on the grass—a duck's frost, just sufficient to check fox-hunting. Every footstep on grass in this condition when the sun comes out burns up as black as if the sole of the boot were of red-hot iron, and the poacher leaves an indelible trail […]

   • 1899, The Agricultural Gazette and Modern Farming, page 133:

     A cooler lcimate has prevailed and some frost, but at the time of writing there has been more rain, which in the country is known as a duck's frost. At present there has been little skating, for the ice has been thin and unsafe. When the ponds are well frozen then the land is solid also, and this is the gardener's opportunity to cart the dung on to the fields. […]

   • 2009 July 15, Fred Archer, The Distant Scene, Amberley Publishing Limited, →ISBN:

     "Smartish frost and we shall get a duck's frost tonight. This is the third white un we've had." The shepherd then put one foot on one of the spokes of the waggon wheel and looked at his new hurdles. As he chewed his twist and spat I could see he wasn't too happy […]

   • 2025 August 16 [????], Mary Gladys Meredith Webb, Gone to Earth: in large print, BoD – Books on Demand, →ISBN, page 8:

     ' […] duck's frost to-night.' Abel looked up absently, humming the air he intended to play next. 'I bin in the Callow, and I've gotten a primmyrose,' continued Hazel, accustomed to his ways, and not discouraged. 'And I got a bit of blackthorn […]

• 1896, G. F. Northall, A Warwickshire Word-book: Comprising Obsolescent and Dialect Words, Colloquialisms, Etc., Gathered from Oral Relation, and Collated with Accordant Works, page 69:

  Duckfrost, sb. A slight frost. N'hamp., Shrop. But often jocularly used for a wet night. Worc.

• Joseph Wright, editor (1900), “DUCK”, in The English Dialect Dictionary: […], volume II (D–G), London: Henry Frowde, […], publisher to the English Dialect Society, […]; New York, N.Y.: G[eorge] P[almer] Putnam’s Sons, →OCLC.: "Duck-frost, (a) drizzling rain; wet night; (b) a slight hoar-frost; [...] War.3 ‘There was a frost last night, I fancy?’ ‘Oh yes, a duck's frost.’ This reply would indicate that the night had been at least moist. se.Wor.1 s.Wor.1 It'll be a duck's frost afore themorrow. Glo. (A.B.), Glo.1, e.Suf. (F.H.) Wil.1 Ironically used at Deverill, as, ‘Ther'll be a frost to-night.’ ‘Ah, a duck's-frost,’ viz. none at all. (b) Nhp.1 A slight frost, freezing at night and thawing in the morning. War.2, Shr.1 Wil.1 That kind of frost which comes on in the early morning, and is accompanied with some rime on the grass — a duck's frost, just sufficient to check fox-hunting, Jefferies Gamekeeper (1878) vii."