what does the saying "the buck stops here" mean? said by Harry s truman?

Question

when did he first say it. where did he get it from. does he have any more famous sayings or quotes.

Answer 1

It means final accountability rests with him.

someone who wimps out, or won't commit to answering something or give an opinion is "passing the buck."

Answer 2

The buck stops here ... means that he was the one responsible, that there would be no "passing the buck".

When did he first say it:The sign "The Buck Stops Here" that was on President Truman's desk in his White House office was made in the Federal Reformatory at El Reno, Oklahoma. Fred M. Canfil, then United States Marshal for the Western District of Missouri and a friend of Mr. Truman, saw a similar sign while visiting the Reformatory and asked the Warden if a sign like it could be made for President Truman. The sign was made and mailed to the President on October 2, 1945. He also refered to it in talks.

Where did he get it from :: see above

Other famous sayings: "You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog." "You know that being an American is more than a matter of where your parents came from. It is a belief that all men are created free and equal and that everyone deserves an even break. "

There are lots of others here: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/harry_s_truman.html

Answer 3

The saying "the buck stops here" derives from the slang expression "pass the buck" which means passing the responsibility on to someone else. The latter expression is said to have originated with the game of poker, in which a marker or counter, frequently in frontier days a knife with a buckhorn handle, was used to indicate the person whose turn it was to deal. If the player did not wish to deal he could pass the responsibility by passing the "buck," as the counter came to be called, to the next player.*

Answer 4

"Give em hell" Harry, did have a few interesting quotes. That one refers to the practice of passing tasks or duties on to others -- called passing the buck. He simply meant that he will do the job and not pass it on to anyone else.