albatross around one's neck

English

Coleridge's Ancient Mariner (engraving by Gustave Doré, 1876)

Alternative forms

(UK) albatross round one's neck

Etymology

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

Audio (AU) (file)

Noun

albatross around one's neck

(idiomatic, figuratively) 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.

Translations

thing that hinders

Finnish: apina selässä, apina niskassa

French: poids (fr) m

See also

a millstone round one's neck
monkey on one's back

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