an albatross round his neck
- an albatross round his neck
- Meaning
A burden which some unfortunate person has to carry.
Origin
A reference to the poem 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, in which the character who shot an albtross is obliged to carry the bird hung around his neck.
`God save thee, ancient Mariner !
From the fiends, that plague thee thus !--
Why look'st thou so ?'--With my cross-bow
I shot the ALBATROSS.
...
Ah ! well a-day ! what evil looks
Had I from old and young !
Instead of the cross, the Albatross
About my neck was hung.
Meaning and origin of phrases.
2013.
Look at other dictionaries:
albatross round your neck — albatross around/round (your) neck literary something that you have done or are connected with that keeps causing you problems and stops you from being successful. The company that he founded in 1983 is now an albatross around his neck, making… … New idioms dictionary
albatross round neck — albatross around/round (your) neck literary something that you have done or are connected with that keeps causing you problems and stops you from being successful. The company that he founded in 1983 is now an albatross around his neck, making… … New idioms dictionary
albatross around your neck — albatross around/round (your) neck literary something that you have done or are connected with that keeps causing you problems and stops you from being successful. The company that he founded in 1983 is now an albatross around his neck, making… … New idioms dictionary
albatross around neck — albatross around/round (your) neck literary something that you have done or are connected with that keeps causing you problems and stops you from being successful. The company that he founded in 1983 is now an albatross around his neck, making… … New idioms dictionary
Albatross (metaphor) — The word albatross is sometimes used to mean an encumbrance, or a wearisome burden. [cite web | url = http://m w.com/dictionary/albatross | title = Albatross | work = Merriam Webster Online Dictionary | accessdate = 2007 11 24 ] It is an allusion … Wikipedia
Wandering Albatross — Conservation status Vulnerable … Wikipedia
Brian Close — This article is about the footballer and cricketer. For the footballer born 1982, see Brian Close (footballer). Brian Close Personal information Full name Dennis Brian Close Born 24 February 1931 (1931 02 24) (age 80) Rawdon, West Yorkshire … Wikipedia
Clinton Morrison — Personal information Full name Clinton Hubert Morrison Date of birth 14 May 1979 ( … Wikipedia
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner — (original: The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere) is the longest major poem by the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge written in 1797–1798 and published in the first edition of Lyrical Ballads (1798). The modern editions use a later revised version… … Wikipedia
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner in popular culture — This entry lists mentions of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner in popular culture.Literature* In James M. Cain s crime novel Double Indemnity , Phyllis is described as the creature who came on board ship to shoot dice in The Rime of the Ancient… … Wikipedia
