the.com/paddling
Moving water with a stick, or moving a kid with a different stick.
means Propelling a small boat with a paddle, or wading in shallow water, or—in old-school discipline—a spanking.
from From 'paddle,' likely from Low German or Dutch roots for a small spade or blade, surfacing in English around the 1400s.
Group nounA group of ducks on water is a paddling.
Three meaningsCanoeing, wading, and corporal punishment all qualify.
Up the creekIdiom warns against doing it without a paddle.