water off a duck
Criticism slides off
Water off a duck describes something that has no effect on someone—criticism, insults, or troubles that simply fail to penetrate.
The image comes from the way water beads up and rolls off a duck's oiled feathers: Her complaints were water off a duck's back to him.
Usually appears as water off a duck's back.
- thick-skinnedResistant to criticism
- thick skinImmunity to criticism
- roll with the punchesCope with adversity flexibly
- turn the other cheekRefuse to retaliate
- stoicUncomplaining endurer of hardship
stiff upper lip · imperturbable · cool as a cucumber · rise above · no skin off my nose · nonporous · detached · indifferent · bounce back · easy come easy go · hydrophobic · serene · unflappable · keep calm · apathetic · unaffected · self-contained · composed
- farm idiomsmake hay while the sun shines, cream of the crop, put the cart before the horse, till the cows come home, buy the farm
- dismissalsgo away, get out, leave, scram, beat it
water off a duckthin-skinned
Easily hurt by remarks
sensitive · cut to the quick · touchy · hypersensitive · easily offended
water off a duckbroods
Ponders with gloom
festers · eats away at · scarred · lingers · stays with you
water off a duckscars
Healed wound tissue
traumatic · haunting · unforgettable · indelible · hard to shake
water, duck, waters, watered, watering, waterway, waterfall, watershed, underwater