shoot the messenger
To blame a problem on whoever reported itTo blame a problem on whoever reported it; to hold somebody accountable for a problem because they brought attention to it.
» Don't shoot the messenger.
Не стреляйте в гонца. — marafon
Не стреляйте в гонца, принесшего дурные вести. — marafon
CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FRMeaning
1 senses(humorous, idiomatic, sarcastic)To blame a problem on whoever reported it; to hold somebody accountable for a problem because they brought attention to it.
I know you won't like this news, but please don't shoot the messenger.
Examples
1 sentencesDon't shoot the messenger.
ruНе стреляйте в гонца. — marafon
Translations
2 languagesForms
shoots the messenger, shooting the messenger, shot the messenger, shot the messenger| Base form | shoot the messenger · to shoot the messenger |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | shoots the messenger |
| Present participle | shooting the messenger |
| Past simple | shot the messenger |
| Past participle | shot the messenger |
irregular · Lesson
Lessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, irregular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle
See also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.