tar baby

Etymology
Referring to a doll made of tar and turpentine to entrap Br'er Rabbit in one of 's  stories, published in 1881, from earlier African American folklore, from earlier African (e.g. Kongo) folklore, influenced in America by similar stories from various unrelated Native American tribes, such as the Cherokee, Alabama, Koasati, and Apache. (Similar stories are found throughout the world, e.g. among the Mixtec and Zapotec. )

Noun

 * 1)  A difficult, abstract problem that worsens as one attempts to handle it; a "sticky" situation, especially one where attempts to make it better only make it worse.
 * 2) * 2006,, quoted in "Romney apologizes for calling Big Dig 'tar baby'", July 31, 2006, WISTV.com
 * Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is apologizing for referring to the troubled construction project as a "tar baby." / Romney made the comment during a speech at a fund-raiser with Iowa Republicans on Saturday. Romney told the crowd "The best thing politically would be to stay as far away from that tar baby as I can."
 * 1)  A black person.
 * 1)  A black person.