albatross around one's neck
Appearance
English
[edit]Alternative forms
[edit]Etymology
[edit]From The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1798) by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, wherein a sailor's killing of an albatross brings bad luck and results in the dead bird being hung around the killer's neck by his crewmates.
Pronunciation
[edit]Audio (General Australian): (file)
Noun
[edit]- (idiomatic, figurative) A characteristic, possession, associate, or previous deed that hinders one's ability to succeed.
- He bought the properties last year hoping to make a profit by reselling them; however, with the economic downturn, they have become an albatross around his neck.
- 2024 May 4, Guy Chazan, Leila Abboud, “Le Pen strains ties with German far-right”, in FT Weekend, page 2:
- “Marine wants to be French president, and her chance are pretty good for 2027,” said one former senior AfD official. “Why would she want a bunch of German neo-Nazis like an albatross round her neck?”
Translations
[edit]thing that hinders
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See also
[edit]- a millstone round one's neck
- monkey on one's back