pass the buck

1. To shift blame from oneself to another person: “Passing the buck is a way of life in large bureaucracies.” (See the buck stops here.)

Idioms and Phrases

Shift responsibility or blame elsewhere, as in She's always passing the buck to her staff; it's time she accepted the blame herself. This expression dates from the mid-1800s, when in a poker game a piece of buckshot or another object was passed around to remind a player that he was the next dealer. It acquired its present meaning by about 1900.

Example Sentences

Indeed, her focus on grand jury materials controlled by the judiciary is plainly an effort to pass the buck and obscure the fact that she has some independent authority to disclose information.

From Slate

It suggested the State Bar was trying to pass the buck for its own failures.

From Los Angeles Times

That made me start thinking, well, is there any way we can distinguish the good or bad accountability sink, or arrangements where someone is actually doing something necessary versus someone just trying to pass the buck.

From Salon

Not everyone was ready to let Bondi pass the buck, though.

From Salon

His first appearance was on Say the Word in 1997, and other credits include Pass the Buck, Breakaway and Two Tribes.

From BBC