To carry the can
“To carry the can” is an idiom meaning to be blamed or held responsible for something even if you might not be at fault. A person might:
- choose to carry the can,
- be forced to carry the can,
- carry the can because of the nature of his or her role or job.
Examples:
- She carried the can to protect her husband from blame.
- The boss made him carry the can for the loss even though he wasn’t the only one at fault.
- The goalkeeper carried the can for the whole team’s poor performance.
A related phrase is “The buck stops here”.
