“Lord Love a Duck” Origin

Hello, you have A Way with Words.

Hi, this is Jimmy, and I’m calling from Tallahassee, Florida.

Hi, Jimmy. Welcome to the show.

Thank you very much.

I’ve found myself in the last couple of years using the phrase, Lord, love a duck. And it’s when I’m frustrated, usually with myself. And I’ve looked it up. I know it’s British, but where did it come from as a phrase? I mean, why Lord love a duck? Why not Lord love my soul or something? Or some other animal.

Yeah.

Lord love a pig.

Lord love the little baby lambs.

There you go.

Lord love my dog.

Oh, this is a good question.

You’re right.

It’s British. I’m glad you found that out. Americans use it, though, too. It may have started there, but definitely came across. Some people say this is a classic Cockney phrase, although it’s going to be old-fashioned Cockney if it’s actually true.

There are three things happening in there. One of them we can’t really talk very much about on the radio because it is a Lord Lovaduck rhymes with a very offensive four-letter English word. And it is related to this.

Yes.

It is also related to the mildly offensive for the love of Christ. So it’s a variant of that as well. And in general, Lord Lovaduk or Cor Lovaduk or just Lovaduk are all euphemisms for trying not to say God’s name or trying not to take his name in vain or trying not to take Jesus’ name. It’s another one of the like dozens or maybe even more than a hundred ways in English to try to not take the Lord’s name in vain. And this is one of those. But they all kind of reinforce each other.

So Lovaduk has multiple paths before it comes to your words.

That makes complete sense. Because I have realized that I replaced another word that when I’m angry has two syllables with this.

There we go.

My speak. This is much more polite, right?

Much more gentle.

I want to throw one other thing here to you two southern ladies, which is there is, interestingly, evidence that shows this may be related to the kind of polite way that when somebody does something wrong or doesn’t act well or doesn’t dress well, you say, God love them.

Oh, yeah.

It’s related to that kind of way you’re like, Lord, help them. They just need all the assistance they can get. So it may be related to that as well.

We find this frequently in English, by the way, particularly with idioms and slang, that a variety of terms will reinforce each other until there’s one winner who kind of like takes its strength and inspiration from all these other things that are happening that sound similar or are used in similar circumstances.

Oh, well, I’ve learned something today, and you should learn something new every day.

Once an hour. You should learn something once an hour.

Once an hour. Ooh, I’m going to have to get to work.

Thank you for calling, Jimmy, all right?

Thanks for calling.

Thank you.

Best wishes to you. Bye-bye.

Bye-bye.

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