Old Man of the Sea

noun

1. (in The Arabian Nights' Entertainments ) an old man who clung to the shoulders of Sindbad the Sailor for many days and nights.
2. a burden, annoyance, care, or the like, from which it is extremely difficult to free oneself.

Example Sentences

In Deep Harbor, to marry a man who could not dance, or was a bad dancer, was to hang a social old-man-of-the-sea about one's neck.

From Project Gutenberg

She'll be an old-man-of-the-sea hanging around your neck whom you can't shake off.

From Project Gutenberg

This time we separated from our old-man-of-the-sea; the baggage went on to Portbou to await our afternoon arrival.

From Project Gutenberg