don't kill the messenger


Also found in: Acronyms.

don't kill the messenger

Don't get angry at or punish someone who is simply delivering bad or undesirable news as they are not responsible for it. A: "What do you mean I'm being sued by my ex-wife? I'll knock your lights out!" B: "Hey man, I'm just doing my job. Don't kill the messenger!"
See also: kill, messenger

kill the messenger

To get angry at or punish someone who is simply delivering bad or undesirable news, though they are not responsible for it. Used most commonly in the phrase "don't kill the messenger." I'm a news anchor—it is my job to report the news, even the bad stuff. But some people want to kill the messenger, as if I were the one who caused the bad news to begin with. A: "What do you mean I'm being sued by my ex-wife? I'll knock your lights out!" B: "Hey, I'm just here to deliver the subpoena. Don't kill the messenger!"
See also: kill, messenger
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
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References in periodicals archive ?
Don't kill the messenger. The head of Lebanon's restaurant owners association said Tuesday that LBCI television was guilty of besmirching the reputation of his sector, amid widespread reports that the country suffers from less-than-adequate food safety standards.
Dangerous food?
It's always a surprise when an episode of The Bill is in any way entertaining and I have to confess that when I saw the title - Don't Kill The Messenger - I imagined the story would revolve around a motorcycle courier who had lost a package for Sun Hill.
How to scare off a hippo.. just like that; By Brigit Grant
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