carry the can

Verb

carry the can (third-person singular simple present carries the can, present participle carrying the can, simple past and past participle carried the can)

1. (Canada, UK, idiomatic) 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.1998 April 25, Arati R. Jerath, "18 partners hunt for one voice," Indian Express (Bombay) (retrieved 21 Oct 2008)
   • You could reasonably argue that Brown himself should carry the can for much of the regulatory failure of the banks.2008 October 16, Adrian Hamilton, “Comment: I wouldn't get too carried away by success if I were Brown”, in The Independent, UK, retrieved 21 Oct 2008

   Synonyms:

   take the rap