leave someone holding the bag

Meaning

Verb

• To abandon somebody, leaving him or her holding the responsibility or blame.
• To remove the value from an article or arrangement and leave somebody holding the empty (or valueless) container.

Related

Similar words

• leave someone in the lurch
• leave someone holding the baby
• leave someone high and dry

Origin

• Originated in 18th-century Britain, referring to a person left holding stolen goods while the rest of a criminal gang escapes.