Celebrate the Lame Duck

Feb 6 has been proclaimed as Lame Duck Day. A lame duck is someone who time in their position is coming to an end. Such as a politician who has not been re-elected or someone who is retiring. They are called lame ducks because they tend to be less effective (if they are effective at all) during those last days.

Lame Duck seems like an odd term. But the origins of this phrase date back to the 18th century and the London Stock Exchange. It referred to a broker who defaulted on his debts. While tracing back this term, the earliest mention I have found to it was by Horace Walpole in 1761 in a letter to Sir Horace Mann.

It is more widely used in politics than any other industry or profession. During the period following an election and before an inauguration, a politician is considered a lame duck if they have not been re-elected.

Did you know what the most disastrous lame duck period was in U.S. History? It was the transition of the administration of James Buchanan to Abraham Lincoln. I know I was surprised to learn this. James Buchanan believed that the states did not have the right to secede and that it was also illegal for the government to go to war with them. So between November 1860 and March 1861, seven states seceded and the conflict began which lead to the American Civil War.

If you are one of those lame ducks, enjoy it. Take some time today to reflect on your successes.

Chia Pet Rescue