lame duck

US /leɪm dʌk/
UK /leɪm dʌk/
"lame duck" picture
1.

хромая утка, уходящий политик

an elected official or group of officials, as a legislature, continuing in office during the period between an election defeat and the inauguration of a successor

:
The president became a lame duck after losing the election.
Президент стал хромой уткой после проигрыша на выборах.
The lame duck Congress struggled to pass new legislation.
Конгресс хромой утки с трудом принимал новое законодательство.
2.

неудачник, неэффективный человек

a person or thing that is weak, ineffectual, or unsuccessful

:
The new product turned out to be a lame duck, failing to attract customers.
Новый продукт оказался неудачным, не сумев привлечь покупателей.
After several attempts, the business was still a lame duck.
После нескольких попыток бизнес все еще был неудачным.