pass the bottle of smoke
To acquiesce in some falsehood; to make pretence.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Don't pass the bottle of smoke about why you were late.”
“He knew the excuse was a lie, but he decided to pass the bottle of smoke just to keep the peace.”
“Rather than confront the uncomfortable truth, the committee chose to pass the bottle of smoke, offering a vague explanation that satisfied no one.”
- 01
bottle away
To store up or stock up.
- 02
bottle up
To keep suppressed and hidden.
- 03
come to pass
To happen; to occur.
- 04
end in smoke
To be destroyed or ruined; to go up in smoke.
- 05
go up in smoke
To be completely ruined, devastated, or reduced to nothingness.
- 06
hard pass
An unequivocal rejection with no possibility of a later change of mind.
- 07
hit the bottle
To drink alcohol steadily and in excess, particularly in response to a setback.
- 08
holy smoke
An expression of astonishment.
Last updated August 10, 2026