English

Alternative forms

• shoot the messenger

Verb

kill the messenger

1. (idiomatic) To blame a problem on whoever reported it; to hold somebody accountable a problem because he/she brought attention to it.

   I know you won't like this news, but please don't kill the messenger.

   • 1893 December 12, Rev. B. Minard, “Sunday in the Churches”, in Lewiston Evening Journal, Maine:

     To disbelieve the message and seek to kill the messenger will not destroy the message