{"id":6224,"date":"2022-07-27T22:11:36","date_gmt":"2022-07-27T22:11:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=6224"},"modified":"2022-07-27T22:11:36","modified_gmt":"2022-07-27T22:11:36","slug":"blood-on-hands-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/blood-on-hands-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Blood on Hands \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Did someone say you have \u2018blood on your hands' <\/em>after making a decision? Are you responsible for the outcome, or can you pass the blame to someone else?<\/p>\n

This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/h2>\n

The expression \u2018blood on your hands\u2019<\/em> means that you\u2019re responsible for the death or suffering of others due to poor decision-making. You may have a direct or indirect role in the death or suffering of others, or you cause grievance or injuries to someone else.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Example Usage<\/h2>\n

\u201cDonald Trump has blood on his hands for how he handled the coronavirus. If that\u2019s the case, Joe Biden is bathing in blood right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe media really know how to embellish everything they report. Saying Donald Trump has \u2018blood on his hands\u2019 is hyperbole.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the way it is, and there\u2019s nothing you can do about it. The blood is on your hands. It was your poor decision-making that led to this disaster.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you think I have blood on my hands, then you\u2019re just as guilty as me. Look at you sitting there all smug when you know you have as much responsibility for this as I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have blood on your hands, and I\u2019m not going to let you get away with this. I\u2019m taking you to court, and we\u2019ll let the jury decide.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, you think you have nothing to do with all this? You have blood on your hands, my friend, and I\u2019m going to make sure you pay for this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is blood on your hands, and you need to admit your mistake. By dodging the blame, you\u2019re damaging your reputation with the public.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

Origin<\/h2>\n

The expression \u2018blood on your hands\u2019 originates from the Boston Globe newspaper and a scathing review of Donald Trump\u2019s response to the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. The phrase appeared in April 2020 in an article by the Boston Globe\u2019s editorial board.<\/p>\n

During the early days of the pandemic, some political commentators said Trump was too slow to close travel from outside countries to the US, allowing the virus to spread. The article from the Boston Globe editorial team suggested Donald Trump\u2019s actions profoundly impacted the pandemic's severity.<\/p>\n

They also mentioned that the spread of the virus was preventable, but the poor decision-making from the Trump administration led to bad management of the situation.<\/p>\n

The phrase appears in the editorial as follows.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe months the administration wasted with prevarication about the threat and its subsequent missteps will amount to exponentially more COVID-19 cases than were necessary,\u201d the editorial board added. \u201cIn other words, the president has blood on his hands.\u201d<\/p>\n