[leave] {sb} holding the bag
1
to be left in a difficult or embarrassing situation, often without any support or assistance
The idiom "leave someone holding the bag" is believed to have its origins in 18th-century America, specifically in the context of a scam or deception. In some con games, a person would be tricked into holding a bag supposedly filled with valuable items, while the scammer disappeared, leaving the unsuspecting individual to face the reality that the bag contained nothing of value. Today, it is used as an idiomatic expression in various contexts and occasions to describe situations where an individual or group is abandoned or burdened with responsibility for a problem, situation, or task, typically when they were not originally involved or responsible for it.
- The manager promised to handle the budget, but when it went overboard, he left his team holding the bag.
- In the group project, one member disappeared during the crucial presentation, leaving her colleagues holding the bag to explain everything.
- When the company's financial scandal was uncovered, the CEO tried to resign and leave the CFO holding the bag for the entire debacle.
- After their partners backed out at the last minute, the entrepreneurs were left holding the bag with a half-finished product and looming deadlines.
- The politician tried to shift the blame onto his aides, leaving them holding the bag for the controversial decision.