scapegoating a subordinate; passing the buck to a lower-ranking person
Idiomatic expression likening the act of a superior evading responsibility by blaming a subordinate to a lizard shedding its tail. Often used in organizational or political contexts.
When the scandal came to light, the boss scapegoated a subordinate, like a lizard shedding its tail.
This resignation is a classic case of passing the buck to a lower-ranking person.
スケープゴート is a direct loanword for 'scapegoat', whereas トカゲの尻尾切り is a vivid Japanese idiom emphasizing the hierarchical abandonment.
Standard spelling for this idiomatic expression. トカゲ is often written in katakana.
Variant with しっぽ in kana.
From the behavior of lizards (トカゲ) that shed (切り) their tails (尻尾) to escape predators. The idiom figuratively applies this to a superior abandoning a subordinate to evade blame.