Etymology

leipien ‎(“of breads”) + heitto ‎(“throw”) - the resulting circles on the surface of the water look a bit like a row of round breads; a similar idiom is used in Swedish and in Russian (throwing blinis), but it's unclear whether they have a common origin. Note also John Higgins' definition from 1585: "A kind of sport or play with an oister shell or stone throwne into the water, and making circles yer it sinke, etc. It is called a ducke and a drake, and a halfe-penie cake."