What is a lame-duck politician? And is it always a bad thing?

There’s been a lot of chatter about the Republican sweep in elections last week transforming President Obama into a lame duck — but what exactly does that term mean, and how did we start referring to outgoing politicians as wounded birds?

How the phrase took flight
The term "lame duck" first appeared in 18th-century London as slang for a stockbroker who could not pay off his debts.

This metaphor evokes an injured duck that cannot keep up with the flock — rendering it an easy target for hunters.

In the hands of Americans, it gradually took on the meaning of an ineffective public official serving out the remainder of his or her term.

The first published instance of this second definition came in 1878 with a quote from Abraham Lincoln, who allegedly said a “senator or representative out of business is a sort of lame duck. He has to be provided for,” according to the Online Etymology Dictionary.

What it means now
Nowadays, the phrase refers to a president or congressperson in the final days of his or her tenure.

Congress meets for lame-duck sessions after general elections in November but before the successor’s term begins in January.

Some lawmakers considering items of business — in this year’s case, many Democrats — will not be around in the next Congress.

Speakers often use the phrase to imply mean-spiritedly that the politicians are unable to accomplish what they want to before the clock runs out.

With the recent Republican victories nationwide, many pundits have been speculating that Washington will be in perpetual gridlock, at least through the end of the next election cycle.

Why it can be good to be lame

Some politicians can take advantage of the situation, since they don't need to worry about pleasing voters and can take steps that are unpopular but necessary to accomplish their goals.

Louisiana Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu is taking advantage of the lame-duck Congress by forcing through a vote on the Keystone XL oil pipeline, according to the Associated Press.

Moderate Democrats and Republicans argue that the pipeline will add tens of thousands of jobs, but environmentalists worry that it will damage the environment and exacerbate climate change.

If it's approved, Obama could find a bill on his desk to either sign into law or veto.

Immigration is another hot-button issue facing the lame-duck Congress.

If Congress does not pass the kind of immigration law Obama wants, he might issue an executive order to change the country’s laws unilaterally — much to the chagrin of conservatives, including economist Thomas Sowell.

“Pundits who depict Obama as a weak, lame-duck president may be greatly misjudging him, as they have so often in the past,” Sowell wrote in the right-wing National Review on Monday.

He outlined Obama’s immigration ultimatum and asked, “Does that sound like a lame-duck president?”

Similarly, Jonathan Cohn, senior editor for the liberal New Republic magazine, wrote an article Thursday titled “Obama Is Having a Really Good Week for a Lame Duck President,” about the commander-in-chief’s successes since the election, such as the vindication of his Ebola policy after the recovery of Dr. Craig Spencer and a major agreement with China on climate change.

So maybe it’s best to reserve judgment until this Congress and Obama leave Washington before determining whether their political strategies can still fly.