Passing the BuckHow a frontier gambling tool became a symbol of blame

From the show

History of Phrases

President Harry Truman famously declared "The Buck Stops Here," but the phrase traces back to the lawless saloons of the American frontier. In 19th-century poker, a knife with a buckhorn handle served as a rotating marker to identify the dealer and prevent cheating. Handing this object to the next player literally meant shifting the risk and responsibility of managing the game.