albatross around one's neck
Meaning: Something or someone that is a burden and difficult to get rid of.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Category: Body & Senses
Origin: An albatross is a large sea bird. The expression comes from the poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Samuel T. Coleridge, in which a sailor shoots a helpful albatross with a crossbow, bringing bad luck on the crew of the ship. The other sailors hang the bird around the sailor's neck as punishment.
More idioms — Body & Senses
- armed to the teeth — Well-equipped with weapons.
- go back to square one — Return to the beginning.
- go back to the drawing board — Return to the planning stage of a project.
- have one's back to the wall — To be in a difficult or desperate situation.
- back-seat driver — A person who gives driving orders when he/she is not the driver.
- bend someone's ear — To talk to someone for a long time.
More English idioms
- bird's-eye view — A broad view or overview of something or someplace.
- blue-blood — A person (or animal) that is an aristocrat or from a noble family.
- a bone of contention — A topic of dispute.
- a bone to pick — A dispute.
- burn one's bridges — To take a course of action that makes it impossible to go back.
- by word of mouth — The informal, verbal passing of information from one person to another.
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