noun a responsibility or blame that is passed on to someone else
verb to transfer responsibility or blame to someone else
In politics, 'pass the buck' can refer to politicians avoiding taking responsibility for certain decisions or actions.
In the business world, 'pass the buck' is often used to describe the act of shifting responsibility or blame onto someone else.
Within family dynamics, 'pass the buck' could be used to describe a situation where one family member avoids dealing with a problem by passing it off to another family member.
In sports, 'pass the buck' may be used to describe a player avoiding taking a shot or making a play by passing the ball to a teammate.
In the publishing industry, when a writer is asked to make revisions to a manuscript, they may 'pass the buck' to their editor by suggesting changes or improvements that should be made by the editorial team.
In a therapy setting, a psychologist may 'pass the buck' by referring a client to a different mental health professional if they feel that another specialist would be better suited to address the client's specific needs.
In a corporate setting, a manager may 'pass the buck' by assigning tasks or responsibilities to their subordinates without taking full accountability for the outcomes. This can lead to a lack of leadership and accountability within the team.
In a legal context, a lawyer may 'pass the buck' by redirecting a client's case to a different attorney or legal expert if they feel that the case requires specialized knowledge or expertise that they do not possess.