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Words and Their Stories -- a program about special American expressions.
Like every language, American English has many special ways of saying
things -- idioms as they are called. These strange expressions cannot be
easily explained. They are produced by the day-to-day events in the life
of a people and become part of its language. Some of these expressions
last a long time, while others stay for a short period and then disappear.
But all of them tell a great deal about a people about its culture and way
of life. One such expression used by Americans for about 100 years is the
phrase "to pass the buck." It means refusing to take responsibility,
letting others decide and act for you.
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Where did the expression come from? Well, it seems to have come from the
card game of poker, where the players one after the other mix and pass out
the cards. The phrase seems to have come to life in the gambling houses of
the West. There, a silver dollar or buck was put in front of a player to
show that he would be the next dealer to pass out the cards. A dollar,
silver or paper, was called a buck. It still is. Why? Nobody seems to
know.
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Forceful leaders, of course, make decisions, take risks and
responsibility. The risks can be great. Every choice at times may lead to
disaster. In a military leader, it may be defeat and ruin; in business,
financial failure, loss of a job. Therefore, it is easier to pass the
responsibility and let others take the risks. Nobody, however, likes a man
who passes the buck. He is soon found out and given an unpleasant name,
"buck-passer." Nevertheless, buck-passers are found among us everywhere.
Perhaps the most famous buck-passer in history has been the devil. That is
the picture we get of him from the ancient myths. The only time he seems
to have acted for himself was when he rebelled and tried to seize God's
throne, but God cast him out. And since then, he has spent most of his
energy in passing the buck, letting others do his work for him.
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