passes the buck
Dodges personal accountability
To pass the buck is to shift responsibility or blame to someone else rather than handling it yourself.
The phrase comes from poker, where a marker (the buck) indicated whose turn it was to deal.
When the project failed, everyone tried to pass the buck.
The opposite sentiment appears in Truman's famous desk sign: "The buck stops here."
- dodgeAvoid by quick movement
- blame gameCompetitive fault deflection
- pointExact location or meaning
- point the fingerAccuse someone of wrongdoing
- shiftMovement or work period
kick the can · slide · shirk · abdicate · handoff · obligation · toss · assign · accountability · deflect · wash my hands · hot potato · scapegoat · culpability · plausible deniability · power dynamics · evade · answerability
passes the buckowns up
Admits to wrongdoing
the buck stops here · steps up · faces the music · answers for · fesses up
passes the buckthe buck stops here
Accepting final responsibility here
takes charge · steps up to the plate · takes the bull by the horns · grasps the nettle · takes the reins
pass, passes, passed, passing, passer, passers, buck, bucks, bucked