Definition: duck

The term "canard" is used in certain other popular expressions:

• un canard: a newspaper;
• ça ne casse pas trois pattes à un canard: said of something that is average or passable;
• faire un canard: in music, to play a wrong note;
• être le vilain petit canard: in reference to Hans Christian Andersen, to stand out in a negative way;
• il fait un froid de canard: it is very cold.
• faire le canard (fam.): to be overly attentive to women.

An explanation of the origin:

The sugar is dipped into the liquid with a small piece left above the surface, then immediately removed. When you watch a duck dive, it does exactly the same thing: it dips its head under the water, but its tail remains above the surface, and it comes back up almost immediately.