Everyone makes excuses sometimes. Maybe you forgot your homework or were late to school. Instead of telling the real reason, you might say something that sounds better. These are called excuses. People use special phrases, or idioms, to explain these moments in a fun or clever way.
Idioms about excuses are short sayings that tell more than just what happened—they hint at the reason behind someone’s actions, even if it’s not true. Some are funny, while others are used when someone is trying to get out of trouble. In this article, you will learn some common idioms about excuses, what they mean, and how people use them in everyday life. Let’s look at these expressions and see what they really say.
Idioms About Excuses
1. Pass the buck
Meaning: To blame someone else.
Example Sentence: He forgot to bring the snacks but passed the buck to his sister. He said the dog ate his homework to pass the buck.
Other ways to say: Shift the blame, blame someone else
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from old card games where a “buck” was a marker passed to the next player.
Usage: Used when someone tries to avoid taking the blame.
2. Make up a story
Meaning: To invent a false reason.
Example Sentence: She made up a story about why she was late. He made up a story to skip soccer practice.
Other ways to say: Tell a fib, create an excuse
Fun Fact/Origin: “Make up” means to invent or create something.
Usage: Used when someone lies to cover the truth.
3. Cry wolf
Meaning: To give a false alarm or lie often.
Example Sentence: He cried wolf so many times no one believed him. She cried wolf just to get out of gym class.
Other ways to say: Tell lies, raise a false alarm
Fun Fact/Origin: From an old story where a boy lies about a wolf coming.
Usage: Used when someone lies so much that people stop trusting them.
4. Pull a fast one
Meaning: To trick someone to get out of something.
Example Sentence: He pulled a fast one to skip cleaning his room. She pulled a fast one on her teacher with a fake sick note.
Other ways to say: Trick someone, be sneaky
Fun Fact/Origin: Likely comes from magic tricks done quickly to fool people.
Usage: Used when someone gets away with something by being clever or sneaky.
5. Give someone the runaround
Meaning: To avoid giving a straight answer.
Example Sentence: When asked why he was late, he gave the runaround. She gave her mom the runaround about missing homework.
Other ways to say: Avoid the truth, stall
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom is from the idea of making someone run in circles.
Usage: Used when someone avoids telling the truth directly.
6. Bend the truth
Meaning: To change the truth a little.
Example Sentence: He bent the truth about how long he played video games. She bent the truth about finishing her chores.
Other ways to say: Stretch the truth, tell a half-truth
Fun Fact/Origin: The idea is that the truth is being stretched like rubber.
Usage: Used when someone is not totally honest.
7. Come up with an excuse
Meaning: To invent a reason for something.
Example Sentence: She came up with an excuse for not calling back. He came up with an excuse for not going to the party.
Other ways to say: Make up a reason, find a way out
Fun Fact/Origin: “Come up with” means to think of something on the spot.
Usage: Used when people are trying to avoid responsibility.
8. Blame it on someone else
Meaning: To say someone else did it.
Example Sentence: He blamed it on his little brother. She blamed it on the dog for the mess.
Other ways to say: Shift the blame, point fingers
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom is often used in families or school settings.
Usage: Used when someone does not want to admit fault.
9. Cover your tracks
Meaning: To hide what you did wrong.
Example Sentence: He tried to cover his tracks after sneaking out. She deleted the messages to cover her tracks.
Other ways to say: Hide evidence, erase clues
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from animals covering footprints to avoid being found.
Usage: Used when someone tries not to get caught.
10. Blow smoke
Meaning: To say things that are not true to avoid blame.
Example Sentence: He blew smoke about finishing his homework. She was just blowing smoke when she said she studied.
Other ways to say: Lie, make things up
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from old slang about confusing people.
Usage: Used when someone tries to distract or avoid the truth.
11. Shoot the breeze
Meaning: To talk without saying anything important.
Example Sentence: He shot the breeze to waste time when asked about chores. She shot the breeze to avoid talking about her grades.
Other ways to say: Chat, talk nonsense
Fun Fact/Origin: “Shoot the breeze” means to talk just to pass time.
Usage: Used when someone talks to avoid giving a real answer.
12. Kick the can down the road
Meaning: To delay or avoid doing something.
Example Sentence: He kicked the can down the road by not answering. She kicked the can down the road on cleaning her room.
Other ways to say: Postpone, delay action
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from children kicking a can instead of picking it up.
Usage: Used when someone keeps putting something off.
13. Throw someone under the bus
Meaning: To blame someone to save yourself.
Example Sentence: He threw his friend under the bus to avoid trouble. She threw her sister under the bus about the mess.
Other ways to say: Blame others, betray someone
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of pushing someone into danger to protect yourself.
Usage: Used when someone gets others in trouble to avoid being blamed.
14. Dance around the issue
Meaning: To avoid giving a straight answer.
Example Sentence: She danced around the issue of not doing homework. He danced around the issue when asked where he went.
Other ways to say: Avoid the question, be unclear
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the image of moving around something without facing it.
Usage: Used when someone avoids the real topic.
15. Weasel out of something
Meaning: To get out of doing something in a sneaky way.
Example Sentence: He weaseled out of doing his chores. She weaseled out of helping with the project.
Other ways to say: Escape, avoid responsibility
Fun Fact/Origin: “Weasel” is often used to describe sneaky behavior.
Usage: Used when someone avoids doing what they should.
16. Beat around the bush
Meaning: To avoid saying something directly.
Example Sentence: He beat around the bush when asked about the broken vase. She beat around the bush when asked why she was late.
Other ways to say: Dodge the question, not get to the point
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from hunters who beat bushes to scare out animals instead of going straight in.
Usage: Used when someone is not direct.
17. Fake it
Meaning: To pretend to feel or do something.
Example Sentence: She faked being sick to skip school. He faked his surprise when he already knew about the party.
Other ways to say: Pretend, act
Fun Fact/Origin: “Fake” is a word that means not real.
Usage: Used when someone pretends to get out of something.
18. Tell a white lie
Meaning: A small lie told to avoid hurting feelings or getting in trouble.
Example Sentence: He told a white lie about liking the food. She told a white lie to avoid hurting her friend.
Other ways to say: Small fib, soft lie
Fun Fact/Origin: “White lie” means a lie that is seen as less harmful.
Usage: Used when someone lies to keep peace or avoid trouble.
19. Duck the question
Meaning: To avoid answering.
Example Sentence: He ducked the question about his test score. She ducked the question about her chores.
Other ways to say: Dodge, avoid answering
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from ducking or moving to avoid something coming at you.
Usage: Used when someone avoids answering on purpose.
20. Make a mountain out of a molehill
Meaning: To make a big deal out of something small.
Example Sentence: He made a mountain out of a molehill about forgetting his book. She made a mountain out of a molehill when the paper was a little late.
Other ways to say: Overreact, exaggerate
Fun Fact/Origin: A molehill is small, so making it a mountain is an exaggeration.
Usage: Used when someone makes excuses that sound worse than the truth.
21. Pull the wool over someone’s eyes
Meaning: To trick or fool someone.
Example Sentence: He pulled the wool over his teacher’s eyes with a fake excuse. She tried to pull the wool over her mom’s eyes about her missing project.
Other ways to say: Trick, deceive
Fun Fact/Origin: From the idea of covering someone’s eyes with wool to block their sight.
Usage: Used when someone tries to fool another person.
22. Skirt the issue
Meaning: To avoid talking about something important.
Example Sentence: She skirted the issue when asked about her grades. He skirted the issue about not doing chores.
Other ways to say: Avoid the topic, dodge
Fun Fact/Origin: “Skirt” means to go around something.
Usage: Used when someone avoids a direct topic.
23. Have a good excuse up your sleeve
Meaning: To keep a reason ready just in case.
Example Sentence: He always has a good excuse up his sleeve for being late. She had an excuse up her sleeve for missing class.
Other ways to say: Be ready with an excuse, keep a reason
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from magicians hiding tricks up their sleeves.
Usage: Used when someone is prepared to make an excuse.
24. Act clueless
Meaning: Pretend not to know something.
Example Sentence: She acted clueless when asked who broke the vase. He acted clueless about the missing cookies.
Other ways to say: Pretend not to know, play dumb
Fun Fact/Origin: “Clueless” means not having any idea.
Usage: Used when someone pretends to not understand to avoid blame.
25. Cook up a story
Meaning: To invent a reason that sounds believable.
Example Sentence: He cooked up a story about why he didn’t bring his homework. She cooked up a story to skip soccer practice.
Other ways to say: Make up, create
Fun Fact/Origin: Like cooking a meal, this means making something from nothing.
Usage: Used when someone creates a false story to avoid trouble.
Quiz: Idioms About Excuses
Instructions: Read each question and the answer choices carefully. Pick the letter that best matches the meaning of the phrase or expression.
Question Key
1. What does “pass the buck” mean?
A) Take full credit
B) Blame someone else
C) Ask for help
2. If someone “pulls a fast one,” what are they doing?
A) Cleaning up quickly
B) Playing a game
C) Tricking someone
3. What does it mean to “bend the truth”?
A) Tell the full truth
B) Make up something completely false
C) Change the truth a little bit
4. What does “cry wolf” mean?
A) Call out for help when needed
B) Lie so often people stop believing you
C) Pretend to be scared
5. If someone “throws another under the bus,” what are they doing?
A) Helping them get to school
B) Blaming them to avoid trouble
C) Giving them a reward
6. What does “cook up a story” mean?
A) Make food
B) Create a believable excuse
C) Read a bedtime story
7. If someone “skirts the issue,” what are they doing?
A) Running around
B) Fixing the problem
C) Avoiding the main point
8. What does it mean to “cover your tracks”?
A) Leave clues behind
B) Try not to get caught
C) Walk backwards
9. What does “act clueless” mean?
A) Be really smart
B) Pretend not to know something
C) Ask a lot of questions
10. What does “tell a white lie” mean?
A) Tell a very big lie
B) Tell the truth in a fun way
C) Say a small lie to avoid hurting feelings
Answer Key
- B) Blame someone else
- C) Tricking someone
- C) Change the truth a little bit
- B) Lie so often people stop believing you
- B) Blaming them to avoid trouble
- B) Create a believable excuse
- C) Avoiding the main point
- B) Try not to get caught
- B) Pretend not to know something
- C) Say a small lie to avoid hurting feelings
Wrapping Up
Excuses can be funny, tricky, or even clever. Idioms about excuses help people explain their actions in a more interesting way. These phrases are used often, especially when someone doesn’t want to get in trouble. Now you know what they mean and how to use them. Remember, it’s always better to be honest—but if someone uses an excuse, you might just understand what they’re really saying.
