“Carry the can” means taking responsibility for a task or blame for a bad situation. Its origin is disputed, but it may come from military usage. There are many alternatives to express this idea, and it is more familiar to British English speakers than in America.
The English idiom “carry the can” is used to refer to an individual or party who takes responsibility, assumes leadership, or takes on a task. The phrase is often used for a party who agrees to accept blame for a bad situation. It has a slightly negative connotation and the average speaker can understand that it is something many parties often wish to avoid.
In terms of its origin, many historians of words argue that “carrying the can” comes from an original military usage. The exact origins of this phrase are disputed. Some suggest that someone who originally “carried the can” was the person who brought beer or drinks to a military unit, where pouring the drinks was something that person would have ultimate responsibility for. Others suggest that the “can” in question was a container for explosives. This may figure in the eventual use of “carry the can” as something to be avoided, or as something that makes those who accept it “heroic”.
Some historians have traced the origin of this phrase to the Royal Navy in the 1920s. An alternative view suggests that this phrase comes from an older phrase “carry the cag” or “carry the keg” which referred to bearing a grudge. In any case, modern usage refers much more to carrying something undesirable and with some responsibility.
In modern English, there are many different ways to express a similar idea without using the phrase “carry the can”. Some are even more idiomatic and refer to more specific situations, for example, if an English speaker said that a responsible party was willing to “put (his) head on the chopping block” or “put (his) head out.” These sentences illustrate a kind of exposure and vulnerability.
The use of “carry the can” is traditionally more familiar to British English speakers than in America. One of the most prominent alternatives in American English is the frequent use of the phrase “the dollar stops here,” which is attributed to an American president and refers to the alternative responsibility of that or another executive position; this phrase, however, has a more positive connotation. Another very different phrase refers to accountability in a business context, where someone who accepts unwanted responsibilities is willing to “take one for the team.” Among many other ways to express this idea, more technical phrases include “carry the blame” or “accept the blame.
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