hot potato

What it means

A hot potato is a sensitive or politically risky issue that people try to pass off to someone else rather than deal with directly. It's used in politics, business, journalism, and team projects where nobody wants to be left holding responsibility for a difficult decision.

Examples

• Immigration reform has been a political hot potato for decades.
• The complaint got passed around like a hot potato between departments.
• Nobody on the board wanted that hot potato on their desk.
• Layoffs are always a hot potato for middle managers to handle.

Where it comes from

From the 19th-century children's game in which players quickly pass a small object — as if it were too hot to hold — around a circle. The phrase moved into political and business slang during the 20th century.

Related idioms