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lord and lady (duck)

DCHP-1 (pre-1967)

Entry from the DCHP-1 (pre-1967)

This entry may contain outdated or offensive information, terms, and examples.

a harlequin duck, Histrionicus histrionicus. See 1956 quote.

See: lady

Quotations

1771

After dinner I went down the river, shifted one of the traps from Furriers Cove to another rubbing place higher up, and killed three lords and ladies.

1835

I had a fine view of a patch fox in my walk, saw several seals, and some of those very beautiful birds, called by the people of Newfoundland "lords and ladies."

1930

The Harlequin Duck . . . is known to trappers and prospectors in the far west as "Lord and Lady Duck."

1956

Harlequin Duck [is also called] lord and lady (Usually in the plural, "lords and ladies." In allusion to the handsome plumage. While these terms refer basically to the sexes, they are customarily used together to indicate the species. Nfld., "Labr.," N.S., N.B., B.C.). . . .