**Head Start** - Win **Burden** - Lose > [bur·den][1] > > *noun* > > 1. a load, especially a heavy one. In the proposed use *burden* is used metaphorically, so it is not an idiom, although both idioms and metaphors are figures of speech. **Note**: I've edited my previous answer, which I had deleted, rather than submitting a new one because I don't see a way to submit a new answer (though I have more than 10 points, so I don't understand that). [1]: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/american_english/burden?q=burden