C2idiompoliticsIELTS-friendly
a lame duck
USUK
a politician or government with little real power, often near the end of a term in office
Mainly American political language. Also used before a noun: 'a lame-duck president'. In British English it can also mean a failing company.
In context
After losing the election, the president was a lame duck for two months.
Without a majority in parliament, the new government looks like a lame duck.
More idioms about politics
- a double standarda rule applied more strictly to one group than to another
- a grey areaa situation where the rules are unclear, so nobody is sure what is allowed
- a hidden agendaa secret reason or plan behind what someone says or does
- a hot potatoa difficult issue that people disagree about and nobody wants to deal with
- a landslide victorya win in an election by a very large number of votes