carry the can
carry the can — idiom
1. to be held responsible for a bad outcome that you did not cause alone, or to be
to be held responsible for a bad outcome that you did not cause alone, or to be punished when others share the fault
The whole team made the mistake, but only Ayana had to carry the can in front of the manager.
carry the can + for others' mistakes
Anjali knew she would be the one to carry the can if the project failed, so she double-checked every detail.
When the event ran over budget, the junior staff refused to carry the can for decisions made by senior management.
Selim admitted the error immediately instead of letting a colleague carry the can alone.
- take the fall
more common in American English; same meaning of accepting blame
- shoulder the blame
slightly more formal, implies voluntary acceptance
- bear the brunt
closer to 'suffer the worst part' rather than just blame
- pass the buck
to shift responsibility onto someone else
文法句型
carry the can + for + [noun phrase]
用法筆記
Typically used in workplace or group settings. The person 'carrying the can' is often singled out unfairly or is the one who has to answer to a superior.