leave someone holding the baby
To abandon someone and put them in a position where they must take the responsibility or blame.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“My partner quit and left me holding the baby.”
“When the manager resigned suddenly, he left his assistant holding the baby for the failed project.”
“The senior partners retreated to their vacation homes, effectively leaving the junior associates holding the baby for the company's massive legal errors.”
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as if someone owns the place
Alternative form of like someone owns the place.
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babies in the eyes
The minute reflection which one sees of oneself in the eyes of another.
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baby and bathwater
Used in reference to an error in which something valuable is discarded in the process of removing or rejecting something unwanted.
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baby elephant in the room
An obvious but mostly inconsequential issue.
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baby step
A small effort made towards the completion of a much larger task.
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baby up
To treat as a baby.
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basin of gravy
[Cockney slang]baby
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be left holding the baby
To be left with the responsibility of resolving a problem.
Last updated August 10, 2026