# pass the buck

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/pass-the-buck
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To transfer responsibility or blame from oneself onto another; to absolve oneself of concern for a given matter by claiming to lack authority or jurisdiction.

## Examples

- Don't try to pass the buck when you make a mistake.
- Instead of fixing the software error, the manager tried to pass the buck to the IT department.
- Rather than addressing the systemic failures within the organization, the executives consistently sought to pass the buck to their subordinates.

## Origin

The phrase is thought to have originated in the 19th-century American frontier, emerging from the social nuances of the poker table. A marker, often a knife with a buckhorn handle, was placed before a player to indicate their turn to deal the cards. If a player felt the burden of the deal was inconvenient, they could transfer the obligation to their neighbour by passing the marker. The knife was eventually referred to simply as the buck. While the marker ensured the fairness of the rotation, passing the buck allowed a player to decline the immediate administrative duties of the game. The object has since vanished from the table, but the act of transferring an unwelcome responsibility remains fixed in the lexicon. (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.