leave someone holding the bag
English
editEtymology
editOriginated in 18th-century Britain, referring to a person left holding stolen goods while the rest of a criminal gang escapes.
Verb
editleave someone holding the bag (third-person singular simple present leaves someone holding the bag, present participle leaving someone holding the bag, simple past and past participle left someone holding the bag)
- (figuratively) To abandon somebody, leaving him or her holding the responsibility or blame.
- After the accident, he just vanished and left me holding the bag.
- (figuratively) To remove the value from an article or arrangement and leave somebody holding the empty (or valueless) container.
Synonyms
editRelated terms
editTranslations
editleave somebody holding the responsibility or blame
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