What it means
Means something that's a proper dud, especially a car, gadget, or bit of kit that looked decent till it started acting cursed and costing you grief. In like a lemon, it means you're just stood there looking awkward, useless, or a bit clueless while everyone else is getting on with it.
Usage examples
"Turned up to the wedding do and everyone’s on the dancefloor. I’m stood there like a lemon with me pint, watching Dave cut shapes."
"The second-hand car turned out to be a right lemon, broke down on the drive home."
"Don't buy that brand of blender, mine was a total lemon and packed in after a week."
"Bought this cheap telly online and it's a complete lemon, freezes every ten minutes and wheezes back to life when it fancies."
"I walked into the pub quiz late and stood there like a lemon till someone pointed me at the right table."
Where it comes from
For the bad product sense, this is well-established in American English from the early 20th century, especially for defective cars and goods. The awkward phrase like a lemon grew separately in British and Irish speech, where lemon paints you as standing there looking a bit daft, lost, or socially stranded.
