lame duck 的词源

1761年，“任何残疾人或物”；特别是在股票交易所中用作“违约者”的俚语。

A lame duck is a man who cannot pay his differences, and is said to waddle off. [Thomas Love Peacock, "Gryll Grange," 1861]

跛鸭子是指那些无法支付差额的人，常被说成是摇摇晃晃地离开。[托马斯·洛夫·皮科克，《格里尔庄园》，1861年]

有时也用于海军，指“老旧、行动缓慢的船只”。现代意义上“在选举后仍继续任职的公职人员”最早记录于1863年，美国英语。归因于林肯总统的那句名言（“[一位]离职的参议员或众议员就像个跛鸭子。他必须得到照顾”）出自于1878年的一个轶事。

It is well known to everybody who knows anything of its history, that this court [Court of Claims] was made a sort of retreat for lame duck politicians that got wounded and had to retreat before the face of popular condemnation. That is just exactly what it was for, a safe retreat for lame ducks; and it was so filled up; (etc.) [Sen. John P. Hale, New Hampshire, Congressional Globe, Jan. 12, 1863, p.271]

众所周知，这个法庭[索赔法院]曾被视为那些在公众谴责面前受伤并不得不退却的跛鸭子政治家的避风港。它正是为此而设，是跛鸭子的安全撤退之所；而它确实充满了这样的角色；（等等）[约翰·P·黑尔参议员，新罕布什尔州，《国会文献》，1863年1月12日，第271页]