to shoot the messenger
3
7.8
- idiom
:
matar al mensajero
- Don't shoot the messenger.
And, you know, the way that I've always looked at it myself is that, you know, why would you shoot the messenger?
- And, you know, the way that I've always looked at it myself is that, you know, why would you shoot the messenger?
Examples
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I believe the phrase is 'don't shoot the messenger.'
Blog text (25) -
Well, hey, okay, listen, don't shoot the messenger, okay?
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So why shoot the messenger?
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Do not shoot the messenger, sir.
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Don't go shooting the messenger now.
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Just don't shoot the messenger.
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Don't shoot the messenger here, folks.
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Dude, don't shoot the messenger.
Blog text (7) -
Don't shoot the messenger!
Blog text (9) -
Let's stop shooting the messenger and focus on correcting the problem in our community.
Synonyms
46
4.8
To blame someone when it is not clear who is at fault
Antonyms
How Harsh
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal meanings of 'shoot' (to punish/strike) and 'messenger' (person who brings news) make it possible for a learner to infer that the phrase means to punish or blame the bearer of bad news. However, this is a metaphorical, idiomatic use rather than a literal action and carries a pragmatic nuance (blaming the messenger instead of addressing the real cause) that may not be fully predictable without prior exposure, so it is only partly transparent.
Etymology
The idiom shoot the messenger comes from a cruel old habit: one old story says that when someone brought bad news to a leader, people sometimes shot the messenger instead of fixing the problem. So today the phrase means 'to blame or punish the person who brings bad news'.