pass the buck
Meaning: To redirect the blame or responsibility for something (usually a decision) to someone else.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Category: Animals
Origin: In poker games during the 1800s, a shotgun pellet (called buck) or a pocketknife (often made from buckhorn) was passed to the next person responsible for dealing the cards. By the 20th century, pass the buck came to mean shifting responsibility to someone else. In 1949, U.S. President Harry Truman placed a sign on his desk that read `the buck stops here,' meaning that he took responsibility for government actions and would not try to place the responsibility on anybody else.
More idioms — Animals
- put the cart before the horse — To reverse the necessary or expected order of two things; to put a later step first.
- sacred cow — An idea or thing that cannot be altered.
- something to crow about — An exceptional accomplishment; an achievement that is worth bragging about.
- take the bull by the horns — To take action in a difficult or unpleasant situation.
- talk turkey — To talk seriously, usually about a business deal.
- white elephant — An item that no one wants to buy or that is difficult to get rid of; a costly but useless…
More English idioms
- wild-goose chase — A useless or difficult search.
- wolf in sheep's clothing — Someone who presents himself as a harmless person, but who has intentions that are not ho…
- apple of one's eye — A person or thing that is precious or loved above all else.
- big cheese — An important, powerful or influential person.
- bite the dust — To be destroyed or ruined beyond repair; slang for "to die".
- bitter pill to swallow — A difficult or unpleasant reality to deal with.
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