Ducks in a Row by Foxymoron

The expression getting one's ducks in a row is quite interesting, and many sites are unclear as to its origin. It means to complete one's preparations or get one's house in order. In bridge this should be done at trick one, before you play a card, and declarer might have done so on this hand:

South's double of Stayman showed clubs, and the double of 2S was takeout. Now 2NT showed a spade stop and East raised to game. North had no reason to find the killing lead of the KS, and led a heart. Now it is very unlikely the hearts are 5-2, so declarer should not duck at all, but he did duck the first heart and South won with the queen. Now, South might have recalled the bidding and switched to a spade, but he continued hearts, and North played the jack, but Richard ducked again. Now North woke up and switched to the king of spades, and Richard ducked for a third time. At this point there were no good options, and when North continued spades he ducked for a fourth time but was now one off as he still had to lose the ace of clubs. Had he got his ducks in a row at trick one, he would have realised that no ducks was the right procedure; he should win the first heart and drive out the ace of clubs! Richard and Debbie had a fine win with 63% but it could have been even better but for this hand.

The earliest example we’ve seen of the phrase is from a 19th-century African-American newspaper in Detroit: “In the meantime the Democrats are getting their ducks in a row, and their ticket is promised to be very strong” (the Plaindealer, Nov. 15, 1889).

We’ll end, however, with an example from an earlier children’s book, Goodrich’s Fifth School Reader (1857), by Samuel Griswold Goodrich. Here a mom is teaching her ducklings how to walk in a straight line to a pond:

“Yes,” said the ducklings, waddling on. “That’s better,” said their mother;

“But well-bred ducks walk in a row, straight, one behind the other.”

“Yes,” said the little ducks again, all waddling in a row.

“Now to the pond,” said old Dame Duck—splash, splash, and in they go.