たらい回まわし

noun

acrobatic barrel-rolling with the feet

A circus or acrobatic trick where a person lies on their back and rolls a barrel or similar object using their feet. This is the original literal meaning.

• サーカスで、ピエロがたらい回まわしを披ひ露ろうした。

  At the circus, the clown performed barrel-rolling with his feet.

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb

passing something around in a fixed order

Used for circulating an object, document, or task among a set group of people in a predetermined sequence. Often implies a mechanical, impersonal process.

• 書しょ類るいが部ぶ署しょ内ないでたらい回まわしにされて、なかなか決けっ裁さいが下おりない。

  The document is being passed around within the department, and approval is slow to come.

• 回かい覧らん板ばんをたらい回まわしする。

  Circulate the neighborhood notice board.

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb

buck-passing; shifting a problem to someone else

Strongly negative nuance: evading responsibility by sending a person or issue from one office or person to another without resolution. Common in bureaucratic or complaint contexts.

• 苦く情じょうを言いっても、あちこちにたらい回まわしにされるだけで、誰だれも責せき任にんを取とろうとしない。

  Even when I complain, I just get passed around from one place to another, and no one takes responsibility.

• 患かん者じゃをたらい回まわしにする病びょう院いんが問もん題だいになっている。

  Hospitals that shuffle patients around without proper treatment have become a problem.