hand over the baton

hand over the baton

To bestow a particular responsibility or job to someone. The phrase refers to a relay race in which one runner literally passes a baton to the next runner. I have so much work to do now that my boss has retired and handed over the baton to me.
See also: baton, hand, over
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • baton
  • hand on the baton
  • pass on the baton
  • pass the baton
  • front runner
  • front-runner
  • hand over the reins
  • eat (someone's) dust
  • eat someone's dust
  • drunk
References in periodicals archive
At the summit, Vaughan will hand over the baton to British cycling supremo Sir David Brailsford, who hails from nearby Deiniolen, and London 2012 Paralympic Gold medallist Aled-Sion Davies.
Alun Vaughan will hand over the baton at the top of Snowdon
Harriers to carry baton up Snowdon; And 5k the same day in Games build-up
Syed Arif then hand over the baton to Indian Olympic Association (IOC) president Suresh Kalmdi.
Queen's Baton 2010 Delhi arriving in Pakistan tomorrow
Patil will then hand over the Baton to Union Sports Minister M S Gill who will then pass it on to Kalmadi only to be handed over to the first Baton bearer Abhinav Bindra, India's first individual Olympic gold medallist.
The Organising Committee will hand over the baton to Sir Andrew Foster, chairman of Commonwealth Games Council, England, in a formal ceremony at New Palace Yard on October 30, which will then begin its journey around the nations and territories of the CWG.
Curtain raiser to 2010 CWG to be launched on Oct 29