passing buck
Avoiding personal responsibility
Passing the buck is shifting responsibility or blame to someone else rather than handling it yourself.
The expression comes from poker, where a marker (the buck) indicated who dealt next—passing it meant passing the duty along.
Don't pass the buck to your coworkers; own your mistakes.
The opposite sentiment appears in Truman's famous desk sign: "The buck stops here."
- blameAssign responsibility for wrongdoing
- blame gameCompetitive fault deflection
- responsibilityState of being answerable
- shirkingAvoiding obligatory tasks
- deflectingTurning from original path
avoiding · scapegoat · point the finger · excuse · dodging · accountability · hot potato · someone else's problem · evasion · cowardice · finger-pointing · delegation · shifting · denial · weaseling · sidestepping · cop-out · plausible deniability
passing bucktaking responsibility
owning up · the buck stops here · stepping up · facing the music · manning up
passing bucktaking charge
Assuming leadership or control
taking initiative · taking the reins · decisive action · taking command · empowerment
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