Etymology

Etymology is the study of word origins. Today I'm looking at the term "lame duck"; example given, President Bush is a "lame duck" because his term is ending shortly. It's a common term in political discourse these days, as everyone knows. But "lame duck" doesn't have a political or American origin. Rather, it is from the London Stock Market, and it indicated investors who had no assets and could not pay their debts.

This summary from a very helpful etymology Web site (www.phrases.org.uk) notes some of the earliest written mentions of the term, from the 18th century. During that same time period, the terms "bull market" and "bear market," which we still use today, existed; but now "lame duck" is rarely used in the stock trading context and has been adapted for the political landscape.