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take the fall

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take the fall

Sl. to get arrested for a particular crime. (Especially when others are going unpunished for the same crime. Walt and Tony pulled the job off together, but Tony took the fall. You did it, and I won't take the fall!

See also: fall, take

take the fall (for somebody/something)

to accept responsibility for something The team's general manager takes the fall when the team loses but gets a lot of credit when they do well.

See also: fall, take

take the fall

Incur blame or censure for another's misdeeds, as in She's taken the fall for you in terms of any political damage, or A senior official took the fall for the failed intelligence operation. This expression originated in the 1920s as underworld slang. It began to be extended to less criminal kinds of blame in the second half of the 1900s. Also see take a fall, def. 2.

See also: fall, take

take the fall

tv. to get arrested for a particular crime. (see also take a fall.) Joel Cairo and Wilbur pulled the job off together, but only Wilbur took the fall.

See also: fall, take