Etymology

the buck stops here

Today it means: A statement that no excuses will be made, that the speaker is going to take direct responsibility for matters, rather than pass the responsibility to higher authorities. Full definition →

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The story

Popularized by US President Harry Truman. The phrase is based on the metaphorical expression passing the buck, derived from poker gameplay, that came to mean "passing blame", or absolving oneself of responsibility or concern by denying authority or jurisdiction over a given matter.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.