The term "lame duck" refers to a person or thing that is ineffective, incompetent, or not fulfilling its intended purpose. It originated from the practice of felling trees with an axe and then using the stump as firewood. If the tree fell in the wrong direction (towards the river), it would be considered "lame" because it could no longer serve its original function, which was to provide wood for the household. Similarly, a lame duck is something or someone that has lost their ability to perform effectively and is therefore useless or inefficient.