passing the buck
Dodging one's duty
Passing the buck means shifting 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.
Don't pass the buck—this was your decision.
President Truman's famous desk sign "The buck stops here" declared he wouldn't deflect responsibility.
Unfairly assigning fault to innocents
- finger-pointingAssigning blame openly
- deflectingTurning from original path
- blamestormingGroup blame assignment session
- faultfindingSeeking out imperfections
misattribution · recrimination · culpability · accusations · reproach · incrimination · allegation · hot potato
Avoiding obligatory tasks
- dodgingAvoiding by moving aside
- sidesteppingMoving aside to avoid
- avoidanceDeliberate keeping away
- deflectingTurning from original path
cop-out · ducking · weaseling · equivocation · prevarication · excuses · circumvention · obfuscation
Direct physical exchange
- reassignmentShifting to new duties
- transferMove between locations
- deputingAppointing an agent
- deferralAct of delaying action
chain of command · bureaucracy · red tape · referral · kicking upstairs · punting · forwarding · routing
State of being answerable
- answerabilityObligation to explain oneself
- liabilityLegal or financial obligation
- obligationRequired task or commitment
- dutyRequired moral task
ownership · stewardship · oversight · transparency · integrity · consequence · repercussion · Truman
scapegoating
Unfairly assigning fault to innocents
- finger-pointingAssigning blame openly
- deflectingTurning from original path
- blamestormingGroup blame assignment session
faultfinding · misattribution · recrimination · culpability · accusations · reproach · incrimination · allegation · hot potato · fall guy
shirking
Avoiding obligatory tasks
- dodgingAvoiding by moving aside
- sidesteppingMoving aside to avoid
- avoidanceDeliberate keeping away
deflecting · cop-out · ducking · weaseling · equivocation · prevarication · excuses · circumvention · obfuscation · abdication
handoff
Direct physical exchange
- reassignmentShifting to new duties
- transferMove between locations
- deputingAppointing an agent
deferral · chain of command · bureaucracy · red tape · referral · kicking upstairs · punting · forwarding · routing · shuffling
responsibility
State of being answerable
- answerabilityObligation to explain oneself
- liabilityLegal or financial obligation
- obligationRequired task or commitment
duty · ownership · stewardship · oversight · transparency · integrity · consequence · repercussion · Truman · taking responsibility
- bureaucracybureaucracy, bureaucrat, bureaucrats, red tape, civil service
- Blameblame, fault, culprit, accusation, guilt-tripping
- ineffective responsesexcuses, deflection, denial, avoidance, stonewalling
- runaroundevasion, dodge, sidestep, avoidance, stall
- cowardicecoward, cowardly, craven, gutless, spineless
- transferstransfer, money transfer, bank transfer, wire transfer, fund transfer
passing the bucktaking responsibility
owning up · the buck stops here · stepping up · manning up · falling on one's sword
passing the buckthe buck stops here
Accepting final responsibility here
taking charge · stepping up to the plate · taking command · taking the reins · biting the bullet
pass, passing, passed, passes, passer, passable, impassable, buck, bucks