“Avoir du plomb dans l’aile” is a metaphorical French expression that translates literally to “to have lead in the wing”. The expression means to be in a bad away. It originates from an 18th-century hunting expression relating to injured birds falling after having been shot. Here are some more translations:
- to be in a bad state
- to be in bad shape
Here’s an example sentence:
Suite à la crise récente et plusieurs erreurs, la carriere du president a du plomb dans l’aile. Following the recent crisis and several mistakes, the president’s career is in a bad way.
