I took this shot some time ago from a boat pier at Saranac Lake, upstate New York. A wonderful place to spend some time. I dedicate it to Dave, a kind man and a great artist, whose mom has some serious problems, to make both of them smile. Because of the glandular oil with which they preen their feathers, waterfowl have plumage which repels moisture-- this is why they can swim about for a lengthy spell before getting too wet to float.Water rolls off a duck's back without effect.Therefore 'like water off a duck's back' means without effect. If criticism or something similar is like water off a duck's back to somebody, they aren't affected by it in the slightest. A more modern way to say the same concept is Teflon, a 'non-stick' chemical used on cookware.. Teflon is a Brand of DuPont and is also a nickname given to persons, particularly in politics, to whom criticism does not seem to stick. It's a nickname used for a number of politicians, such as Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who was often referred to in the press as Teflon Tony. Ralph Klein, long-time premier of the Canadian province of Alberta, was often referred to as a Teflon Premier. Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern (known as the Teflon Taoiseach) as scandal after scandal failed to have any lasting effect on him until he was forced to resign in 2008. Teflon Johnny has been coined to describe Australian Prime Minister John Howard. Other Australian public figures have been called 'teflon coated'. Russian President and later Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has been referred to as a Teflon leader, although the 2008 Russian financial crisis has begun to affect his image among the public. Spanish Formula One racing driver and double World Champion Fernando Alonso earned the nickname Teflonso following his exoneration from involvement in the Renault F1 Crashgate controversy. Thank you for your kind comments.