albatross around one's neck

== English == === Alternative forms === albatross round one's neck (UK) === 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 === === Noun === albatross around one's neck (idiomatic, figurative) A characteristic, possession, associate, or previous deed that hinders one's ability to succeed. ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== ==== Further reading ==== albatross (metaphor) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia