lame duck
Meaning: A person who holds an office but has little real influence because he or she has not been reelected.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Category: Animals
Origin: The expression suggests that a lame duck--a duck that cannot fly--is ineffectual. It originally comes from the 1760s London Stock Market, where it referred to investors who were unable to pay their debts.
More idioms — Animals
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- lucky dog — A lucky person.
- monkey around — To play like a monkey, i.e., climb on or examine things with curiosity.
- monkey business — Suspicious activity (sentence 1) or mischievous activity (sentence 2).
- there's more than one way to skin a cat — There are different ways to accomplish the same thing; there are different possible solut…
More English idioms
- pass the buck — To redirect the blame or responsibility for something (usually a decision) to someone els…
- put the cart before the horse — To reverse the necessary or expected order of two things; to put a later step first.
- sacred cow — An idea or thing that cannot be altered.
- something to crow about — An exceptional accomplishment; an achievement that is worth bragging about.
- take the bull by the horns — To take action in a difficult or unpleasant situation.
- talk turkey — To talk seriously, usually about a business deal.
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