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Learn Business English Phrases with Our Phrase of the Week!
Each week, we introduce a must-know business phrase that helps you communicate like a pro. This week’s phrase is useful in the workplace—especially when things don’t go as planned.
What Would You Do in This Situation?
Imagine this! You’re working on a big project with a tight deadline. Suddenly, your manager calls a meeting. It turns out the client isn’t happy, and your boss wants answers. Now!
Before you can say a word, your teammate looks at the boss and says, "Well, it wasn’t my fault. Alex was in charge of that part of the project."
Ouch. 😲
You’ve just been thrown under the bus.
This Week’s Phrase:
THROW someone UNDER THE BUS
idiom
to blame someone to protect yourself, even if it’s unfair
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You can use throw someone under the bus when a person avoids responsibility by making someone else look bad.
Not a real bus! This phrase is an idiom, meaning it’s not literal—you don’t actually throw anyone anywhere!
Throw Someone Under the Bus: Listen to a Real-Life Example
Throw Someone Under the Bus: More Real-Life Examples
Workplace Scenario
A co-worker changed the deadline but didn’t take responsibility.
"Did you hear what happened in the meeting?"
"No, what?"
"Marcella totally threw me under the bus! The boss asked why the project was delayed, and she said I didn’t submit my part on time—when she was the one who changed the deadline!"
"Wow, that’s so unfair!"
Sports Context
A player blames his team after a loss.
"We lost today because of some bad decisions on defense."
"Yeah, but did you hear what James said in the interview? He basically threw the whole team under the bus and blamed us for not scoring enough!"
"Unbelievable. We win as a team, we lose as a team."
Customer Service Issue
A cashier avoids taking responsibility for a mistake.
"A customer just called and said they were overcharged. Do you know what happened?"
"Yeah, but I didn’t make the mistake. Mark was the one who entered the wrong amount!"
"So you’re throwing Mark under the bus instead of taking responsibility as a team?"
Let’s Chat!
Have you ever been thrown under the bus at work? What happened?
Yes, it happened to me before. I used to work in a store, and one day, the cash register was short on money. When the manager asked about it, my coworker quickly said, ‘I think Paulo was the last one to use it.’ But actually, we had both been using it that day! It wasn’t fair because it made me look bad. After that, I was more careful and always double-checked the register before leaving. (Paulo, C1-level learner)
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