a lame duck

a lame duck
разг.
1) разорившийся биржевой маклер; банкрот

Frauds of which a lame duck on the Stock exchange would be ashamed. (Th. Macaulay, ‘Miscellaneous Essays’, ‘Mirabeau’) — Это жульнические проделки, которых устыдился бы даже прогоревший маклер.

The Economist calls lame ducks those industries whose survival is claimed to depend on government subsidy. — "Экономист" называет обанкротившимися те отрасли промышленности, жизнеспособность которых зависит от государственных субсидий.

2) неудачник, "несчастненький"; бездарность (тж. о политическом деятеле)

...this additional proof that her life was to be passed amongst "lame ducks" worried him. Would she never make a friendship or take an interest in something that would be of real benefit to her? (J. Galsworthy, ‘The Man of Property’, part III, ch. III) — ...это новое доказательство, что Джун суждено провести жизнь среди "несчастненьких", беспокоило его. Неужели у нее никогда не будет таких друзей и таких интересов, которые окажутся ей действительно полезными?

The habit of using the foreign service as a roost for lame ducks is unfortunately bipartisan... (‘The New Republic’) — К сожалению, для наших обеих партий стало традицией использовать дипломатическую службу как прибежище для бездарностей...

The time has come, declared Senator Norris, for Congress to take cognizance of the Presidential practice of caring for "lame ducks". (APT) — Сенатор Норрис заявил, что конгрессу пора обратить внимание на то, что президент любит опекать "несчастненьких" в политике.

3) амер. не избранный вновь, но временно ещё выполняющий прежние обязанности политический деятель; см. тж. a lame-duck Congress

Since Presidents pick their chief body guards, and since Kellerman was a stranger to Lyndon Johnson, Kellerman was already a lame duck. (W. Manchester, ‘The Death of a President’, ch. 2) — Президенты сами назначают начальников своей личной охраны. Поскольку Келлерман не был близким человеком Линдона Джонсона, его шансы сохранить должность равнялись нулю.

4) мор.; жарг. "хромая утка", повреждённый корабль

A lame duck on the sea means a ship which has been more or less damaged while crossing the perilous ocean. (Suppl) — "Хромой уткой" моряки называют корабль, получивший повреждения во время сильного шторма.


Большой англо-русский фразеологический словарь. - М.: «Русский язык-Медиа».. 2006.

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Смотреть что такое "a lame duck" в других словарях:

  • lame duck — ˌlame ˈduck noun [countable] informal 1. a politician or a government that no longer has any real power or authority: • A bad defeat for his party in October risks making him a lame duck for the remaining two years of his presidency. 2. COMMERCE… …   Financial and business terms

  • lame duck — {n.}, {informal} An elected public official who has been either defeated in a new election or whose term cannot be renewed, but who has a short period of time left in office during which he can still perform certain duties, though with somewhat… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • lame duck — {n.}, {informal} An elected public official who has been either defeated in a new election or whose term cannot be renewed, but who has a short period of time left in office during which he can still perform certain duties, though with somewhat… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • Lame duck — can refer to:* Lame duck (politics), an elected official who has lost political power * Lame duck (game design), a player in a game who cannot win, yet remains in the game. * Lame duck (tango), a position in tango * Lame Ducks (TV series), a… …   Wikipedia

  • lame duck — lame ducks 1) N COUNT: oft N n (disapproval) If you describe someone or something as a lame duck, you are critical of them because they are not successful and need to be helped a lot. Look, I m not one of your lame ducks... It is not proper to… …   English dictionary

  • Lame duck — Duck Duck, n. [OE. duke, doke. See {Duck}, v. t. ] 1. (Zool.) Any bird of the subfamily {Anatin[ae]}, family {Anatid[ae]}. [1913 Webster] Note: The genera and species are numerous. They are divided into {river ducks} and {sea ducks}. Among the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • lame duck — n. A public official still in office after the election but before the inauguration of his or her successor. The Essential Law Dictionary. Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008. lame duck …   Law dictionary

  • lame´-duck´ — lame duck, 1. U.S. a public official, especially a Congressman, who has been defeated for reelection and is serving the last part of his term: »Like a lame duck President, a Prime Minister who is known to be on the way out cannot command… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Lame duck — Lame Lame (l[=a]m), a. [Compar. {Lamer} (l[=a]m [ e]r); superl. {Lamest}.] [OE. lame, AS. lama; akin to D. lam, G. lahm, OHG., Dan., & Sw. lam, Icel. lami, Russ. lomate to break, lomota rheumatism.] 1. (a) Moving with pain or difficulty on… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • lame-duck — adjective only before noun a lame duck leader or LEGISLATOR is one that is not powerful: a lame duck president …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • lame duck — 1761, any disabled person or thing; especially Stock Exchange slang for defaulter. A lame duck is a man who cannot pay his differences, and is said to waddle off. [Thomas Love Peacock, Gryll Grange, 1861] Sometimes also in naval use for an old,… …   Etymology dictionary


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