pass the baton

pass the baton

To bestow one's responsibility or job upon someone else. An allusion to a relay race in which one runner literally hands a baton to the next runner. I have so much work to do now that my boss has retired and passed the baton to me.
See also: baton, pass
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

pass the baton

or

hand over the baton

If you pass the baton or hand over the baton to someone, you give them responsibility for something. Does this mean that the baton of leadership is going to be passed to other nations? Last year, he handed over the baton to his younger colleague. Note: You can also say that you pick up the baton, meaning that you take over responsibility for something from someone else. Now, Colin's son, Clive, has picked up the baton and the company has a bright future. Note: In a relay race, team members pass on a baton as they finish running their stage of the race.
See also: baton, pass
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
See also:
  • baton
  • hand on the baton
  • pass on the baton
  • hand over the baton
  • front runner
  • front-runner
  • hand over the reins
  • eat (someone's) dust
  • eat someone's dust
  • drunk
References in periodicals archive
"It's knowing when to stand still, when to pass the baton to the oilier performers.
Comedy central
Date of the annual affair was moved forward in order to fete the departing diplomat, who soon will pass the baton to Bob Pearce.
BAFTA-LA breaks out the bubbly
The best of luck to Cheryl Pachak Brooks, NCTM, as we now pass the baton.
Southwest Division
My role on the team was to make a reasonable showing and smoothly pass the baton. Without a woman runner over the age of 40, the team could not have entered the event and would have missed the opportunity to earn points in the competition.
Building partnerships in the workplace: by developing relationships with other business functions, EAPs can leverage their strengths to benefit employers, employees, and themselves
Norms said, "After 27 wonderful years in the newsletter business, we are honored to 'pass the baton' to an up-and-coming company like Eli." But we don't take Norins's remark that he's "semi-retired" (NL/NL 4/30/02) very seriously because he has developed and sold off two other newsletter powerhouses in the past-each time going into "semi-retirement."
Leslie Norins sells his third newsletter company, the Coding Insitute, to Eli Research Inc
Says associate Janell Walden Agyeman, "I try to pass the baton of agenting onto others, whether they work for me or for other agencies."
Agents Who Make Bank
"Here on the West Coast, it's accepted and expected that the guy who gets the thing set up will pass the baton."
Burnout in the Valley and Beyond
Kumaratunga, who also chairs the SAARC forum, is expected to pass the baton to Bhattarai later this year.
Nepal, Sri Lanka to enhance business, cultural ties
But in the PBA, Santos is still not ready to pass the baton to the upstart
Santos not backing down, ready for challenge against rookie Belo
Jane Davidson should either accept the responsibilities for which she is so generously paid, or pass the baton to someone who will, before increasing numbers of disenchanted people become nimbys like me.
Environment first; LETTERS