duck or no dinner

Definitions

Synonym of take it or leave it.

Examples

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

“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."”

“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.'”

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

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

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

CEFR level