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Explanation: It means something like wimp, but with a more vulgar undertone. Very unusual indeed.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 14 hrs (2011-11-03 14:23:07 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
All I can say at this stage is that I am not English mother tongue, let alone familiar with this kind of expressions even if I have been living in UK for ages. If you have time, I suggest you wait until you gather more opinions/consensus from other colleagues. You should also consider the register and context of this sentence as Russel and others pointed out.
Good luck.
I decided to go with this, 'limp-dick' seemed a bit too strong for US business correspondence (though between friends/colleagues). Thanks! 4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer
However, general well-known definitions and guidlnes notwithstanding, while seemingly adhering to the area of "cultural mitigation/mediation", you are dangerously closeto the realm of censorship. As for the case in point, it looks straightforward enough a vulgarity; and I stand on an opinion that translating it with such, beg pardn', Brontesisterish terms as "puss" "wuss" (how about "a softy" to boot?) is not legitimate. Cheers yall :)
Our job is to interpret cultures not just words, i.e. to use the terms that would be used in a similar context in the target language. But this discussion belongs in the forums, not here.
The acceptability of a term, particularly in a translation is completely relative to: context, target readership, context, translator's ability to set aside personal qualms, context, translator's choice and courage and I repeat context as that is primary as it covers tone, tenor, mode, and a whole slew of other factors that are to be considered when translating. This sounds like a dialogue in a narrative or a drama. If the term pussy or wuss were to be chosen it could greatly change the tenor of the speaker's utterance and therefore characterization. Nevertheless, that is exclusively the choice of the translator and must be left up to her/him entirely. We are merely offering possible suggestions. In my opinion concerns about morality and acceptability are completely out of place when translating such language, which needs to speak for itself.
Ours is not to censor but to translate faithfully. And should the adequate translation evince the, undeniably, rampant vulgarity in today's Italy, so be it. Ain't our fault. Ambasciator non porta pena.
It is important to bear in mind that terms such as these are regarded as acceptable by a much larger percentage of people in Italy than is the case in the UK at least. I can't speak for the US.
Your "limp dick“ (please note the inverted commas!!!) is just perfect! Why don't you put it as a suggestion? I didn't think of it in time, and suggested a more gentle version "ball-less wonder". The lack of the spheres implies the limpness of the depending (and now hopelessly pending) attribute, but saying it straight is even better.
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +4
