duck or no dinner

English

Phrase

duck or no dinner

1. Synonym of take it or leave it.
   • 1917, Malcolm C. Fenwick, Life in the Cup, page 22:

     "Do you mean it is 'fish or cut bait,' 'duck or no dinner ?'" asked the librarian.

   • 2014, Art Crews, Judy Burleigh-Crews, We Made ’Em Look Good, page 76:

     You were urged to keep status quo, shut your mouth, and go along with the flow. It was sort of like a Louisiana saying, "It was duck or no dinner."

   • 2020, Shane Ross, In Bed with the Blueshirts:

     The Charter was, of course, a compromise beteen the different approaches of the leading members of the Independent Alliance. There had been arguments galore about it. At one point, the attempted input from councillors had prompted an exasperated Michael Fitzmaurice to say that they should be told they would have to accept the 'full duck or no dinner.'

2. Alternative form of all duck or no dinner
   • 1889, Lew Wallace, Living Leaders of the World:

     The same thing that has given a bent to many other minds—necessity. With him it was shoot duck or no dinner.·

   • 1992, R. P. T. Davenport-Hines, Judy Slinn, Glaxo: A History to 1962, page 318:

     In Birchley's phrase, there was no stability: 'either duck or no dinner'.

   • 1998, Henry W. Thomas, Walter Johnson: Baseball's Big Train, page 391:

     Asked by Steadman what he did when Johnson threw at him, Baker replied: "It was either duck or no dinner."