Each week , we try to have a new story . In these stories , we explain English words and expressions . Often , they come from day-to-day events in our lives and become part of the language . The expression “pass the buck ” is an example . A card game may be the origin of this American expression . Gamblers in saloons of the Old West may be responsible for “pass the buck .” To understand how we have to learn about the game of poker – then and now . In poker , each player , one after another , mixes the playing cards , and then passes them out . They deal them . Back then , an object -- often a Buck knife -- was placed in front of a player whose turn it was to deal . A man named Hoyt Buck created the Buck knife back in the early 1900s . As a young blacksmith in Kansas , Buck wanted to find a better way to make knife blades stronger and hold their sharp edge longer . He produced his first Buck knife in 1902 and the family company is still making Buck knives today . But let's get back to the poker game . Okay , so the person with the marker , or the "buck ," in front of them had a decision to make . They could either keep the deal or give it to another player . They would pass the Buck knife , or other similar marker , when they did not want the responsibility of dealing . So , today when someone passes the buck , they fail to take responsibility for a problem . They want someone else to solve it . “Pass the buck ” led to another American expression . Former President Harry Truman , who enjoyed playing poker , made this one famous . A friend of Truman's presented him with a small sign for his White House office . The sign said : “The buck stops here .” This meant that Truman was responsible for what happened in the country . The president cannot “pass the buck .” There are other ways to express the meanings of “pass the buck .” You could also say “avoid responsibility ” or even “evade responsibility .” If you shift the blame , you try to make someone else take responsibility for something you did . For whatever reason , they are unable to take responsibility for their mistakes . These types of people try to shift the blame to others . When you evade responsibility , you refuse to own up to something you did . You can also evade responsibility for something you failed to do . However , evading responsibility does not necessarily mean placing it on someone else . “Passing the buck ” does – you force someone else to deal with a problem or issue . Sometimes we simply say we “own it ” -- “it " being the mistake . If you “own ” something that has gone wrong , you take full responsibility for it . We also say things like , “That's on me !” or “My bad !” These are very casual and common ways of saying , “It's my fault !” Now , let's hear the words and expressions in a short dialogue . Okay , so our meeting with the client is tomorrow at 4 pm . They want to see a mock-up of our interactive web page . I have all the content written . Are you finished with the draft yet ? He told me that you wanted to do it . I did not say that . My job is to find images and videos . He is trying to pass the buck … again ! Yeah , he does that a lot , doesn't he . Well , we need something to show the client tomorrow . Do you have the images ? Yeah , they're on this flash drive . Where is the flash drive ? I don't know . I left it on the train coming into work today . So , let me get this straight . Our meeting with the client is tomorrow afternoon and we don't have a web page or images . Losing the images is on me . I'll load another flash drive today . But I have nothing to do with the web page ! Don't worry about that . I'm project manager . So , ultimately the buck stops with me . You just get me the videos and photos by close of business . I'll take care of the rest . Practice using one of the expressions you heard here . Describe a time when maybe you passed the buck or owned up to a mistake !