ball and chain

Definitions

1. 1

   A heavy iron ball attached to a prisoner's leg by a chain as a means of restraint.

   • In those days a prisoner here had to carry his ball and chain when he was walking to the chow hall.
   • Well, I got one foot on the platform / The other foot on the train / I'm goin' back to New Orleans / To wear that ball and chain
   • Take away this ball and chain
2. 2

   One's spouse, especially a wife, as a symbol of restraint.

   • Near-synonyms: other half (neutral valence), better half (positive valence)
   • I'll have to ask the old ball and chain and get back to you.
3. 3

   Anything that restricts one's freedom or opportunities.

   • His boss turned his conscientiousness into a ball and chain by giving him all the hard jobs.
   • Their business model of the 1920s and 1930s, which had catapulted the business to undreamt-of heights, had then turned into something of a ball and chain.
   • Now 2015 feels like a very long time ago, and the charitable origins have turned into a ball and chain for OpenAI.

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