take the fall
verb1
Boxing, Government, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Martial arts, Military, Politics, Sports, War Especially, Idiomatic, Informal To willingly lose a match, as in a fixed fight.
2
Idiomatic, Informal To bear the blame or punishment for another person's failure or misdeed, either intentionally or not.
- It was good of him to take the fall for you like that, I just wonder if he will come out of this one unscathed.
- You can take the president at his word after last week's sacking of MMS director Liz Birnbaum, the first in the government to take the fall for the BP oil spill disaster2010 June 8, “Economy Watch: BP CEO Tony Hayward to testify on Capitol Hill next week”, in Washington Post:
1 more example
- You, you got it all, I guess And me, I'll take the fall for this Oh, oh, whoa2015 May 12, Rachel Platten, Jon Levine, Scott Jacoby, “Congratulations”, in Fight Song, performed by Rachel Platten:
- Synonyms
- take the rap