fall on one's sword

Meaning: (idiomatic,by extension)Toresignfrom a job or other position of responsibility, especially whenpressuredto do so.1992November 9, Paul A. Witteman, “Roger's Painful Legacy”, inTime‎[1], archived fromthe originalon6 January 2012:[Bob] Stempel was laboring to undo the damage when GM's board forced him tofall on his swordafter little more than two years on the job.2009April 26, Glen Owen, Brendan Carlin, “Even Darling thinks his Budget doesn't add up as relations with Brown hit all-time low”, inDaily Mail‎[2], retrieved2 May 2009:‘There is no sympathy for her[…]’ one Minister said. ‘She [Jacqui Smith] may justfall on her sword, or Gordon [Brown] might humiliate her with a demotion to something like the Department for International Development.2021June 26, Toby Helm, Michael Savage, Peter Walker, “Matt Hancock resigns as health secretary after day of humiliation”, inThe Observer‎[3]:The ministerfell on his swordafter a day that began with senior Tories observing a deliberate silence over Hancock’s future – seemingly to test public opinion in their constituencies – before many later broke ranks to insist he had to go.; (idiomatic)Tovoluntarilytake theblamefor a situation.Synonyms:(informal)take the rap,take the fall1987July 20, Ed Magnuson, “The "Fall Guy" Fights Back”, inTime‎[4], archived fromthe originalon12 May 2008:The bemedaled Marine refused tofall on his swordand take full blame for the scandal.1996, Chip R. Bell,Managers as mentors: building partnerships for learning, Berrett-Koehler Publishers,→ISBN, page81:Humility does not require you tofall on your sword.2006September 28, L. Woellert, P. Burrows, “HP's Showdown: Hurd vs. Dunn”, inBusinessWeek‎[5]:In written testimony given to Congress and made public the day before the hearing, Hurdfalls on his sword, apologizing for HP's spying on its own directors and invading the privacy of journalists.; Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: To commitsuicideby allowing one’s body to drop onto the point of one's sword.

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