wet fallen leaves
Literal meaning: fallen leaves that are wet and cling to surfaces, making them hard to sweep away.
The morning after the rain, many wet fallen leaves were stuck to the garden ground.
retired husband who is always underfoot at home
Figurative, often humorous or critical, comparing a retired man who stays at home and gets in the way to wet fallen leaves that are hard to get rid of. Commonly used in the phrase 濡れ落ち葉症候群 (wet leaf syndrome).
After retiring, my father is called a 'wet fallen leaf' by my mother.
Have you ever heard of the term 'wet leaf syndrome'?
Compound of 濡れ (nure, 'wet') + 落ち葉 (ochiba, 'fallen leaves'). The figurative sense arose from the image of wet leaves clinging stubbornly to surfaces, applied to retired men who stay at home and are difficult to shoo away.