carry the can
To take the blame for something, often another’s mistakes or misdeeds. Primarily heard in UK, Australia. My partner had been cooking the books for years, but because I was the CEO, I had to carry the can for our company’s collapse. I’m the coach, and I called a bad play, so I deserve to carry the can for this loss.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
carry the can
Take responsibility or accept blame, as in Joan felt she was always carrying the can for her boss’s errors. [Slang; second half of 1900s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
carry the can
BRITISH
COMMON If you carry the can, you are blamed for something bad that has happened even though you are not the only person responsible for it. It annoys me that I was the only one who carried the can for that defeat. Members of the Government clearly decided to let Lowe carry the can. Note: This was originally a military expression referring to the man chosen to fetch a container of beer for a group of soldiers.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
carry the can
take responsibility for a mistake or misdeed. British informal
The origin of this expression and the nature of the can involved are both uncertain, though the idiom appears to have started life as early 20th-century naval or military slang.
1998 Times Was this the same Mr Cook who danced on the Tories’ graves for not carrying the can for errors of their officials?
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
carry the ˈcan (for somebody/something)
(British English, informal) accept the responsibility or blame for something: The teachers who were criticized said that they would not carry the can for the faults in the school system. OPPOSITE: pass the buckThis may come from military slang. The person who carried the can was responsible for collecting a can containing beer for the whole group and bringing it back without spilling any.
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
- under the thumb of (someone)
- under thumb
- under (one’s) thumb
- under somebody’s thumb
- under someone’s thumb
- drag (something) in(to) (something)
- drag in
- atone
- atone for
- atone for (something)
На основании Вашего запроса эти примеры могут содержать грубую лексику.
На основании Вашего запроса эти примеры могут содержать разговорную лексику.
He painted her for 15 years, and Betsy had to carry the can against reporters.
Он писал ее на протяжении 15 лет, а Бетси приходилось отдуваться перед журналистами.
And they disappeared with it, leaving you to carry the can.
I know it’s down to me, and I’m prepared to carry the can, but… if you could just give me something.
Я знаю, что ко мне, и я готовы провести можно, но… если бы вы просто дайте мне что-то.
If it does, Americans in the region could carry the can for Washington’s failure to rein in Saakashvili’s aggressive tendencies.
Если это произойдет, американцам в регионе придется расплачиваться за неспособность Вашингтона обуздать агрессивные наклонности Саакашвили.
I think I know how I would feel having to carry the can while the boss walks away smelling of roses.
Я думаю, что знаю как бы я себя чувствовала, если бы меня облили грязью в то время, когда моя начальница оказалась вся в белом.
You’ve been left to carry the can, Chang!
Он сделал из вас козла отпущения, Чанг!
«EA officials should not carry the can for the failings of government to get a deal through and this shows how hollow the prime minister’s promises were about protecting the environment if we leave the EU.»
Должностные лица ЕА не должны нести банку на случай, если правительство не сможет договориться, и это показывает, насколько пустыми были обещания премьер-министра о защите окружающей среды, если мы покинем ЕС».
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- carry the can
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разг.
отдуваться; ≈ быть козлом отпущения, расхлёбывать кашу [ воен.; жарг.]
The unions are bitter about being made to carry the can. They said that technical shortcomings in the industry could, even without the dispute, have led to power cuts this winter. — Тред-юнионы решительно протестуют против того, что консерваторы хотят сделать из них козла отпущения. Они утверждают, что технические дефекты в энергетической промышленности и без этого промышленного конфликта вызвали бы перебои в подаче электроэнергии этой зимой.
He has enough political nous not to wish to carry the can for people like Aneurin Bevan. (Suppl) — Он опытный политик, и у него нет никакого желания нести ответственность за действия людей вроде Эньюрина Бивена.
As soon as they realized that there was likely to be trouble, his companions deserted him and left him to carry the can. (EVI) — Как только спутники поняли, что возможны неприятности, они бросили его на произвол судьбы, предоставив ему самому расхлебывать кашу.
Большой англо-русский фразеологический словарь. — М.: «Русский язык-Медиа»..
2006.
Смотреть что такое «carry the can» в других словарях:
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carry the can — If you carry the can, you take the blame for something, even though you didn t do it or are only partly at fault … The small dictionary of idiomes
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carry the can — ► carry the can Brit. informal take responsibility for a mistake or misdeed. Main Entry: ↑carry … English terms dictionary
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carry the can — phrasal chiefly Britain : to bear alone and in full an often hazardous responsibility * * * carry the can (slang) To take the blame or responsibility • • • Main Entry: ↑can carry the can To accept responsibility for a misdemeanour or error • • •… … Useful english dictionary
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carry the can — If you carry the can, you take the blame for something, even though you didn t do it or are only partly at fault. (Dorking School Dictionary) *** If you carry the can for another person, you accept blame or take responsibility for… … English Idioms & idiomatic expressions
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carry the can — to receive undeserved punishment while the culprit goes free Some authorities suggest that the can contained beer. Common use in the First World War suggests that it was more likely to have carried food prepared behind the lines for those… … How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms
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carry the can — British & Australian to take the blame or responsibility for something that is wrong or has not succeeded. She suspected that she d be left to carry the can for her boss s mistakes. (often + for) … New idioms dictionary
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Carry the can — If you carry the can, you take the blame for something, even though you didn t do it or are only partly at fault … Dictionary of English idioms
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carry the can — verb To take responsibility, especially in a challenging situation. For Vajpayee, who is keen that he alone does not carry the can for his unwieldy alliance, it is a tough decision … Wiktionary
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carry the can (for somebody) — carry the ˈcan (for sb/sth) idiom (BrE, informal) to accept the blame for sth, especially when it is not your fault Main entry: ↑carryidiom … Useful english dictionary
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carry the can (for something) — carry the ˈcan (for sb/sth) idiom (BrE, informal) to accept the blame for sth, especially when it is not your fault Main entry: ↑carryidiom … Useful english dictionary
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carry the can Brit. — carry the can Brit. informal take responsibility for a mistake or misdeed. → carrots … English new terms dictionary
Выполняем упражнение 23 на английские идиомы.
Вставьте слова:
learn
teach
beat
carry
dream
УпражнениеПодсказкаОтвет
1. He never ___ around the bush – you always know exactly what he is thinking.
2. Tom will have to ___ up an excuse for not doing the essay.
3. Although it wasn’t her fault, Sue ___ the can for the error.
4. My sister won’t go back to college because she thinks you can’t ___ an old dog new tricks.
5. I had no idea you could study wine tasting at college – well you live and ___ !
teach an old dog new tricks – учить ученого
beat around the bush – ходить вокруг да около, говорить не напрямую
carry the can for – отдуваться за
dream up an excuse – придумать отговорку
Live and learn! – Век живи, век учись!
1. He never beats around the bush – you always know exactly what he is thinking. – Он никогда не ходит вокруг да около – вы всегда знаешь, что именно он думает.
2. Tom will have to dream up an excuse for not doing the essay. – Тому придется придумать причину не писать сочинение.
3. Although it wasn’t her fault, Sue carries the can for the error. – Сью отдувалась за свою ошибку, хотя она не была виновата.
4. My sister won’t go back to college because she thinks you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. – Моя сестра не вернется в колледж, потому что думает, что и так уже все знает.
5. I had no idea you could study wine tasting at college – well you live and learn! – Понятия не имел, что вы в колледже можете проходить дегустацию вин – век живи, век учись!
British, informal
: to accept blame or responsibility for something that one did not cause
He made the error, but she was left to carry the can.
Taxpayers will carry the can for the renovations.
Dictionary Entries Near carry the can
Cite this Entry
“Carry the can.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carry%20the%20can. Accessed 9 Feb. 2023.
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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#1
Hello,
Is the idiom «carry the can», which means to be left responsible for what you have not done, used in American English?
Here is an example from the script I made up for an educational cartoon:
You’re flattering me, Jill. Anyway, thanks. But you can’t but notice that if I fall behind on any of my jobs, Ms Granger will jump at me right away. I have been in these shoes before, and don’t feel like being the one to carry the can.
This idiom is from a list we study with third-year IE and IBA students. As we are more British English leaning, I am wondering if it is used in the US, and if not, what is the equivalent?
Thank you in advance.
Last edited: Jun 16, 2011
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#2
In AE, if you «holding the bag», you are the one who is held responsibile for what others, or perhaps yourself and others, have done. If you «take the rap» you accept that responsibility.
But «carrying the can»? Never heard it.
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#3
«Picking up slack» is also used.
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#5
Nobody mentioned «hold the baby». Does it mean something different, or is it British too, or is it rarely, if ever, used?
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#7
I’ve never heard of «carry the can» or «hold the baby.»
I prefer «taking the rap» to «holding the bag,» which I’ve also never heard.
One correction:
But you can’t help but notice that if I fall behind on any of my jobs …
Also, I don’t think «I have been in these shoes before» sounds right. I can’t think of an idiom, but «I have been in this situation before» is better.
Last, I would not say «Ms Granger will jump at me right away.» Again, it doesn’t sound right, though maybe it is fine in British English. I’d be more inclined to say «jump on,» though that still doesn’t seem quite right.
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#8
Being bilingual I can see what Salai wants to say, we have similar idioms in BCS. Unfortunately all idioms do not translate well. What we need is the gist of the thing and then find the best equivalent.
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#9
I’ve never encountered «carry the can,» so I am sure that it is not a common American (U.S.-wide) expression, although it could be a regionalism. Ditto for «hold the baby.»
The alternatives proposed, «be left holding the bag» and «take the rap,» usually imply that one is blamed for or stuck with a responsibility that properly belongs to others. A «rap» is a criminal charge (a list of those directed at one person is his «rap sheet»), so to «take the rap» is to be charged with a crime, but it’s usually used for being charged with a crime that someone else committed, or that a group of which one was only one of the members, committed.
If a man was paid to commit a crime, and the police caught him, he might tell them who paid him to avoid «taking the rap» alone for the entire crime.
Likewise, if he was promised help in robbing a bank, went in and got the money, and then found that his lookout and getaway driver had disappeared, he would be left «holding the bag,» likely to be arrested with no evidence that anyone else had been involved.
Here, the example seems to be that the narrator will do his job properly to avoid «getting in trouble» with his supervisor, Ms. [followed by a period in AE] Granger. I think there are sayings or informal idioms for that in AE, but I can’t think of the appropriate one right now. But «carrying the can» and «holding the baby» don’t fit, and neither do «hold the bag» or «take the rap.» «Take the rap» is literally correct, but I don’t think it is used that way in the U.S.
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#10
I have never heard of it and here is why:
This is another of those odd expressions that’s best known in British English. If you carry the can for something you’re bearing the responsibility for its having gone wrong, often with the implication that you’re taking the blame for someone else. A good example appeared in the Times in 1957: “Senior officers who were forced to ‘carry the can’ because of the misdeeds of others”.
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-car1.htm
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#11
I can confirm as a Brit that «carrying the can» is natural in British English, with the meaning of being the one to blame or the one responsible.
Being «left holding the baby» is similar, a metaphor obviously derived from single parenthood scenarios, with the emphasis on responsibility rather than blame.
By the way, putting metaphors adjacent to each other as in your example, «in these shoes before… carrying the can…» can be a bit off-putting (and sometimes inadventently amusing!) to read. Therefore I’d suggest it’s something to avoid, unless you’re doing it for laughs.
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#12
I concur with the other British English speakers here: «to carry the can» = «to take the blame» and would be familiar to most native English speakers in the UK. I believe the metaphor alludes to a junior soldier having responsibility for carrying a can of beer for his seniors, and I presume getting it in the neck if he spilled it.
Interestingly this evening, I checked with my pre-teenage children if they understood the expression and they didn’t really, although they had a vague sense. They knew exactly what «taking the rap» meant, however. Perhaps the expression is becoming old-fashioned.
Last edited: Jun 16, 2011
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#13
All of the discussion has been about sayings indicating being stuck with someone else’s responsibility. Am I way off base, or is the original paragraph about someone trying to avoid being blamed for something that is his responsibility? He says, «if I fall behind on any of my jobs, Ms Granger will jump at me right away» [emphasis supplied]. If «carry the can» means to bear a responsibility or other burden that properly belong to someone else, then it’s not applicable to a situation in which someone is trying to do his own job to avoid being blamed—quite properly—for not doing so.
If he said, «If anyone around here falls behind on his job, Ms. Granger will jump at me right away,» then he would be «holding the bag» or «taking the rap» in AE, «holding the can» or «the baby» in BE, wouldn’t he?
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#14
Dear Fabulist,
Now I understand that I have made a blunder by using the idiom «carry the can» in my story, no matter whether it is understood in the UK or in the USA.
You are absolutely right pointing to a simple fact that if that or another job is my responsibility, I cannot be left carrying the can if I failed to do it properly.
I will have to redo this paragraph altogether.
As for the idiom proper, I might risk giving the following equivalents alongside «carry the can»:
be left holding the baby
be left holding the bag
indicating that the latter one is AmE
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#15
«If «carry the can» means to bear a responsibility or other burden that properly belong to someone else, then it’s not applicable to a situation in which someone is trying to do his own job to avoid being blamed—quite properly—for not doing so.»
But «carry the can» does not mean this. It means shouldering ones responsibility / taking the blame for ones actions, although the consequences might be unpleasant. The phrase was used correctly in the original post.
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#16
Dear Walshesco,
I have already changed the sentence. Now it reads:
You’re flattering me, Jill. Anyway, thanks. You can’t help but notice that if anyone around here falls behind on any of their jobs, it is me Ms Granger starts picking on right away. I have been in this situation before, and don’t feel like being the one to carry the can.
I hope this time the sentence sounds better.
Last edited: Jun 17, 2011
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#17
You’re flattering me, Jill. Anyway, thanks. You can’t help but notice that if anyone around here falls behind on any of their jobs, it is me Ms Granger starts picking on right away. I have been in this situation before, and don’t feel like being the one to carry the can.
I would add just one thing — the word «again» after «carry the can», in order to give emphasis to, «I have been in this situation before».
(ie) «I have been in this situation before, and don’t feel like being the one to carry the can again.»
Hope this helps
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#18
«If «carry the can» means to bear a responsibility or other burden that properly belong to someone else, then it’s not applicable to a situation in which someone is trying to do his own job to avoid being blamed—quite properly—for not doing so.»
But «carry the can» does not mean this. It means shouldering ones responsibility / taking the blame for ones actions, although the consequences might be unpleasant. The phrase was used correctly in the original post.
But that’s not what you said in post #12, or what the citation pops found says: they both give examples of «carry the can» = «bear someone else’s responsibility.»
The American «take the rap» can be used for one’s own responsibility, but it would usually require some specification: «It was my mistake, so I’ll have to [or, I desserve to] take the rap for it.»
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#19
«But that’s not what you said in post #12, or what the citation pops found says: they both give examples of «carry the can» = «bear someone else’s responsibility.»
Sorry if I’ve not pasted that last quote from Fabulist properly, but my response would be:
That’s exactly what I said in post 12: «carrying the can» means accepting ones responsibility and taking the blame. Now, this could be because you are directly at fault and being brought to book (even if the reaction or punishment is excessive, as implied in the original post) or, because the misdeeds of others have brought about the situation, but you were in charge & hence accountable.
Last edited: Jun 17, 2011
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#20
There is an explanation of the origin but not the derivation here.
брать на себя ответственность — это перевод «carry the can» на русский.
Пример переведенного предложения: Why have we got to carry the can? ↔ ѕочему мы должны стать козлами отпущени €?
carry the can
verb
грамматика
(UK, Canada, idiomatic) To take responsibility, especially in a challenging situation. [..]
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брать на себя ответственность
Склонение
Основа
Совпадение слов
But I was tired of carrying the can for every faulty man in the world.
Но я устал отвечать за всех порочных мужиков в мире.
The clearing-up of the ruins now made it necessary to carry the cans into the cow barn.
Так как развалины уже убрали, было необходимо перенести их в коровник.
The teacher would have to carry the can alone, since Miller had gobbled up Homer.
Придется в одиночку учителю отдуваться, раз Гомера Мельник заглотил.
Why have we got to carry the can?
ѕочему мы должны стать козлами отпущени €?
So you’ll just have to carry the can for the both of you.’
Так что вам придется отдуваться за двоих
Probably trying to figure out which of them would carry the can for him having got away.
Вероятно, пытались выяснить, кто из них виноват в том, что ему удалось улизнуть.
If Curt finds out you’ve been messing with the water supply you’ll end up Carrying The Can.
Если Курт узнает, что ты баловался с подачей воды, ты понесешь жестянку…
With any luck someone would have shot him, or maybe he’d ended up Carrying The Can.
Если повезло, его кто-нибудь пристрелил, или кончилось тем, что ему пришлось тащить жестянку.
We’ve gone mad too, only in a different way … Carrying The Can.
Мы тоже сошли с ума, только по-другому… Бег с жестянкой.
The whole matter must be turned over to God and he can carry the can back.
Все это нужно перевернуть и обратить к Богу, а уж он пускай несет свою ношу куда ему нужно.
I realise you have to carry the can.
я понимаю, что мы оба погор € чились.
With any luck someone would have shot him, or maybe he’d ended up Carrying The Can.
Если повезло, его кто-нибудь пристрелил, или кончилось тем, что ему пришлось тащить жестянку.
Now we carry the can for everything, even the laws of physics.
Сейчас мы отвечаем за все, даже за законы физики.
You’ve been left to carry the can, Chang!
Он сделал из вас козла отпущения, Чанг!
No one else noticed: they were too busy watching Ian Carry The Can.
Никто другой не заметил: все были поглощены зрелищем, как Иэн тащит жестянку.
It wasn’t their fault, usually, that the firm was doing badly, but they had to carry the can.
Как правило, они не виноваты в том, что дела у фирмы шли плохо, но отдуваться приходилось именно им.
‘I had responsibility for the case then, and have to carry the can now.’
– Я отвечал за расследование тогда и должен отвечать сейчас.
It looks like she might carry the can because Mr. Hatter’s done a bunk.
Похоже, ей придется расхлебывать кашу, поскольку мистер Хэттер сделал ноги.
I’m the one carrying the can here.
Я один тут за всех отдуваюсь.
Look, we carry the cans for the decisions around here.
За решения здесь отвечаем мы.
‘I’ll wait and see what we have to carry the can for.
— Подождем и посмотрим, за что нам придется отдуваться.
I know in a couple of days they’ll force me to Carry The Can.
Я знаю, что еще пара дней — и меня заставят тащить жестянку.
I didn’t see why Reid should carry the can back for people who had panicked at provincial headquarters.
Я не видел причин, зачем бы Риду отдуваться за людей, которые запаниковали, сидя в столице провинции.
The other problem is, if Curt finds out about this radio Martin’ll end up Carrying The Can for it.’
Но проблема в другом: если Курт узнает о передатчике, Мартину придется тащить жестянку
And tomorrow, he’d have to face his colleagues knowing that he was the one appointed to carry the can.
К тому же назавтра предстояла встреча с коллегами, которым известно, что ему навязали тащить бочку с дерьмом.