Japanese

たらい

たらいまわし
Meaning: passing buck/responsibility; shunting someone around; giving someone the runaround
Part of Speech: Noun

Listen to pronunciation

Handwriting

た
ら
い
回
し

Example

I went to the government office for procedures, but I was shunted around from window to window all over the place.

Usage Notes

Commonly used in administrative or bureaucratic contexts where responsibility is shifted from one person or department to another, leaving the person confused or frustrated.

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