albatross around one's neck

Alternative forms

 * albatross round one's neck

Etymology
From  (1798) by, 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.

Noun

 * 1)  A characteristic, possession, associate, or previous deed that hinders one's ability to succeed.

Translations

 * Finnish: ,
 * French:
 * German: Klotz am Bein
 * Polish: