Skip to main content
to deliver the message to Garcia

to deliver the message to Garcia

9.7
To start and finish a task without needing instructions or help
  • idiom
  • US
translation icon : tomar la iniciativa
  • Whenever a challenge arises, he’s always the one to deliver the message to Garcia without complaint.

Examples

  • The company needs employees who will deliver the message to Garcia instead of waiting for instructions.

  • She trusted him to deliver the message to Garcia and finish the project on time.

  • Don't forget to deliver the message to Garcia!

  • He is known to deliver the message to Garcia without fail.

  • The team values members who can deliver the message to Garcia without needing detailed guidance.

  • She consistently delivers the message to Garcia, taking responsibility for every task assigned to her.

  • In our organization, it is essential to deliver the message to Garcia to achieve our goals efficiently.

Synonyms

to take the lead
vsto deliver the message to Garcia
79 3.2

To start guiding a group or activity and make the main decisions

includes acting independently and completing tasks reliably without supervision
to take the initiative
vsto deliver the message to Garcia
22 3.8

To be the first to act to make something happen

adds responsibility for reliable completion without needing instructions or supervision
to carry the ball
vsto deliver the message to Garcia
  • Informal
2 4.6

Lead a project or task and make sure it is finished

takes independent responsibility to start and finish tasks without supervision
to come up with the goods
vsto deliver the message to Garcia
  • Informal
1 3.7

To do what is expected and give the results needed

focuses more on starting and owning tasks as well as delivering outcomes
to carry the mail
vsto deliver the message to Garcia
  • US
8.2

To do important work well when other people depend on you

adds being self directed and completing tasks without instructions

Antonyms

401 3.8

Stop supporting an idea or plan

256 3.8

Fail to care for someone or something you should look after

How Independent

to deliver the message to Garcia
  • US
9.7

Surface Forms

Morphology

deliver + the + message + to + Garcia

The words literally mean to hand a message to a person named Garcia, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will only recover the literal, concrete sense. The idiomatic reading — ‘take initiative and reliably complete a task without supervision’ — is a culture-specific allusion to the essay “A Message to Garcia” and is not predictable from the parts, making the phrase opaque to learners without prior exposure.

Etymology

Deliver the message to Garcia is from a popular story about a soldier who was given a secret note to take to General Garcia in Cuba and who completed the dangerous trip without asking questions. That's why the phrase means 'to take initiative and finish a task without extra help'.