Understanding the Idiom: What Does "Kick The Can Down The Road" Really Mean?
Have you ever heard the expression kick the can down the road? It's a popular English idiom for delay often used when discussing topics related to postponing decisions meaning or avoiding decisions. Understanding such idiomatic expressions is key to improving your fluency and sounding more natural in English. This post will delve into the meaning of kick the can down the road, explain when and how to use it correctly, explore common mistakes, and provide synonyms. You'll also find example conversations and practice exercises to boost your learning of English phrases.
Table of Contents
- What Does "Kick The Can Down The Road" Mean?
- When Should You Use "Kick The Can Down The Road"?
- How Do We Use "Kick The Can Down The Road"?
- Synonyms for Kick The Can Down The Road and Related Expressions
- Example English Conversations
- Practice Time!
- Conclusion: Mastering Delay and Decision Idioms
What Does "Kick The Can Down The Road" Mean?
The idiom kick the can down the road means to avoid or delay dealing with a problem or making a difficult decision, often with the hope that it will become easier to handle later, or that someone else will eventually deal with it. It suggests a temporary postponement of an inevitable issue, rather than a solution. The phrase kick the can down the road paints a vivid picture of this avoidance, often implying that the problem might worsen due to the delay.
This expression is frequently used in contexts like politics or business, where tough choices are often deferred. For instance, if a government postpones addressing a budget deficit, they are said to be kicking the can down the road.
More: Master the Idiom 'Kick Off': Meaning, Usage, and Examples
When Should You Use "Kick The Can Down The Road"?
This idiom is quite versatile but has its appropriate contexts. Understanding these will help you use kick the can down the road effectively.
Contexts for Usage
It’s commonly used in:
- Informal and Semi-Formal Conversations: Discussing current events, political decisions, business strategies, or even personal procrastination.
- News Reporting and Commentary: Journalists often use it to describe governmental or corporate indecision.
- Workplace Discussions: When talking about projects or decisions that are being repeatedly postponed.
When to Avoid
- Highly Formal Academic Writing: In scholarly papers, more precise and less colloquial language is generally preferred. Instead of saying a historical figure "kicked the can down the road," you might say they "deferred a critical decision."
- Very Formal Official Documents: Similar to academic writing, official reports often require more straightforward terminology.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using "Kick The Can Down The Road"
Here are some typical errors learners make with this idiom and how to correct them:
| Common Mistake | Why it's wrong / Explanation | Correct Usage / How to Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Using "kick a can down a road" literally. | The idiom has a figurative meaning, not about actually kicking a physical can. | Focus on the idiomatic meaning: to postpone or delay dealing with a significant problem. |
| Saying "kick the problem down the road." | While the meaning is understandable, the standard idiom is "kick the can down the road." | Stick to the fixed phrase: "They decided to kick the can down the road on the issue." |
| Using it for short, necessary, or strategic delays. | It typically implies avoiding a difficult or unpleasant issue, often irresponsibly, not just a brief or planned postponement. | Reserve for situations where a problem is deliberately ignored or deferred, usually to avoid difficulty. |
| Confusing it with "pass the buck." | "Pass the buck" means to shift responsibility to someone else. While related to avoidance, it's about blame, not just delay. | Use kick the can down the road for delaying a decision; use "pass the buck" for avoiding responsibility. |
More: Keep Tabs On: Understanding the Idiom, Meaning & Usage
How Do We Use "Kick The Can Down The Road"?
Grammatically, the expression kick the can down the road functions as a verb phrase. The main verb is "kick," and the rest of the phrase acts as its complement, specifying what is being "kicked" (the can) and where (down the road) in a figurative sense.
Here are a couple of examples:
- "The committee decided to kick the can down the road regarding the controversial budget proposal, hoping to discuss it next year."
- "You can't just keep kicking the can down the road; this issue needs to be addressed now!"
The Most Common Sentence Patterns or Structures
Understanding how kick the can down the road fits into sentences will make it easier for you to use it naturally. Here are some common patterns:
| Pattern/Structure | Example Sentence using "Kick The Can Down The Road" | Brief Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Subject + kick the can down the road | "Politicians often kick the can down the road on complex issues like social security reform." | Basic usage where the idiom acts as the main verb phrase. |
| Subject + auxiliary verb + kick the can down the road | "They might kick the can down the road until after the next election cycle." | Used with modal verbs (might, will, can) or other auxiliaries. |
| To kick the can down the road (infinitive) | "It's tempting to kick the can down the road when faced with such a tough choice." | Using the idiom as an infinitive, often after verbs like "decide to," "tempting to." |
| Gerund: Kicking the can down the road | "Kicking the can down the road only makes the underlying problem worse in the long run." | Using the idiom as a gerund, functioning as a noun (subject or object). |
| Accusation: Subject + accuse + someone + of kicking the can down the road | "The opposition accused the government of kicking the can down the road." | Common structure when attributing this action to someone. |
More: Understanding 'Keep Someone Posted': Meaning, Usage & Examples
Synonyms for Kick The Can Down The Road and Related Expressions
While kick the can down the road is a very expressive idiom, there are other ways to talk about delaying decisions or actions. Knowing these can add variety to your English expressions. Here are some synonyms and related phrases, with explanations of their nuances:
| Synonym/Related Expression | Nuance/Tone/Formality | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Put on the back burner | Informal to semi-formal; to delay active consideration of something, often because it's deemed less urgent or to focus on other priorities. | "We've had to put the new marketing campaign on the back burner for now." |
| Shelve (an issue/plan) | Slightly more formal; to decide not to proceed with something, either temporarily or permanently. Often used for official plans or proposals. | "The board decided to shelve the expansion plans due to economic uncertainty." |
| Procrastinate | General term (verb); to delay or postpone action, often out of habit, laziness, or because the task is unpleasant. More about personal behavior. | "He tends to procrastinate when it comes to filing his taxes." |
| Stall / Stall for time | Informal; to delay something deliberately, often to gain an advantage, avoid something unpleasant, or because one is unprepared. | "The defendant's lawyer tried to stall for time by requesting more documents." |
| Play for time | Informal; very similar to stall for time. Deliberately trying to delay an event or decision to gain an advantage or wait for a better opportunity. | "She was clearly playing for time, hoping the situation would resolve itself without her intervention." |
| Defer (a decision) | More formal; to postpone something until a later time. | "The committee agreed to defer the vote until the next meeting." |
| Postpone | Neutral and general; to arrange for something to take place at a time later than that first scheduled. | "They had to postpone the meeting due to the chairman's illness." |
Using kick the can down the road often implies a criticism of the delay, suggesting it's an avoidance of responsibility, more so than neutral terms like "postpone" or "defer."
Example English Conversations
Seeing the idiom in action can greatly help your understanding. Here are a few short dialogues:
Dialogue 1: Office Talk
- Liam: "So, did Mr. Harrison finally decide on the budget cuts for our department?"
- Chloe: "Not a chance. He said he needs 'more data.' Sounds to me like he's just going to kick the can down the road until the end of the fiscal year."
- Liam: "Typical. That means we're in limbo for another few months."
Dialogue 2: Discussing Politics
- Aisha: "I read that the international summit didn't reach any agreement on climate change targets."
- Ben: "Yeah, it seems like they kicked the can down the road again. Everyone agrees it's a problem, but no one wants to make the tough commitments now."
- Aisha: "It's frustrating. The longer they delay, the harder it will be to solve."
Dialogue 3: Personal Decision
- Maria: "I still haven't chosen which university offer to accept. They all have pros and cons."
- David: "The deadline is next week, isn't it? You can't kick the can down the road much longer."
- Maria: "I know! I just find it so hard to make a final decision. I guess I've been avoiding it."
Practice Time!
Ready to test your understanding and use of "kick the can down the road"? Try these fun and engaging tasks! Choose the tasks that work best for you.
1. Quick Quiz!
Choose the correct meaning or usage for "kick the can down the road" in the following sentences/options:
The city council couldn't agree on a solution for the traffic problem, so they decided to _________ until the next meeting.
- a) bite the bullet
- b) kick the can down the road
- c) get a head start
What does it mean if someone is "kicking the can down the road"?
- a) They are playing a game outdoors.
- b) They are postponing a difficult decision or problem.
- c) They are making rapid progress on a task.
"Instead of confronting the issue directly, the management team is simply ___________, hoping it will resolve itself."
- a) calling the shots
- b) kicking the can down the road
- c) hitting the books
(Answers: 1-b, 2-b, 3-b)
2. Idiom Match-Up Game (Mini-Game)
Match the sentence beginnings in Column A with the correct endings in Column B to form logical sentences using or relating to the idiom "kick the can down the road":
| Column A (Beginnings) | Column B (Endings) |
|---|---|
| 1. When faced with tough environmental regulations, some companies simply | a) means you're avoiding a tough decision. |
| 2. If you continuously kick the can down the road on your responsibilities, | b) kick the can down the road, hoping the problem disappears. |
| 3. To kick the can down the road often | c) the unresolved issues usually accumulate and get worse. |
| 4. The prime minister was accused of | d) kicking the can down the road regarding urgent social reforms. |
(Answers: 1-b, 2-c, 3-a, 4-d)
Conclusion: Mastering Delay and Decision Idioms
Well done for exploring the idiom kick the can down the road! Learning expressions like this is a fantastic step towards making your English sound more fluent, natural, and nuanced. It allows you to express complex ideas, such as the deliberate postponement of difficult issues, with a common, easily understood phrase.
Now you're better equipped to recognize when others are talking about delay tactics or avoiding decisions, and you can use the phrase yourself to describe such situations accurately. Keep practicing, and you'll find these English expressions becoming a natural part of your vocabulary.
What's a situation you've recently observed, perhaps in the news or even in your personal life, where someone was clearly trying to kick the can down the road? Share your thoughts or examples in the comments below!