ball and chain

Noun

ball and chain (plural balls and chains)

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 chain1964, “The House of the Rising Sun”, performed by The Animals
2. (derogatory, slang) 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.

   Synonyms:

   other half, better half

3. (figuratively) 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.2011, John Bradley, Cadbury's Purple Reign: The Story Behind Chocolate's Best-Loved Brand