Lame-Duck
/ˌleɪm ˈdʌk/noun
A person or thing that is weak, ineffective, or nearing the end of a term or useful life.
Did you know?In 18th-century London stock exchange slang, a “lame duck” was a trader who couldn’t pay his debts, and the image of helplessness later spread into politics.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
lama
“lame, crippled, weak in the legs”
Old English
OE
duce
“duck”
18th Century
English
lame duck
“a stockjobber who defaulted on payment; a helpless loser”
19th Century
English
lame duck
“a person or institution that is ineffective or unable to function properly”
Modern English
English
lame duck
“an ineffectual person, especially an officeholder nearing the end of a term”