kick the tin
kick the tin
1. Especially in politics, to postpone or defer a definitive action, decision, or solution, usually by effecting a short-term one instead. Often followed by "down the road." Primarily heard in UK. It looks as though they're going to kick the tin down the road again on the tax issue, but they'll have to find a lasting solution eventually.
2. To make a financial contribution; to be responsible for paying a certain amount of money. Primarily heard in Australia. We had expected my father-in-law would kick the tin for an additional $1 million investment, but he said he didn't want to put any more money into the project. After these financial crises, it's always the taxpayer who ends up kicking the tin to pay off the government's bad debts.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
kick the tin
AUSTRALIAN, INFORMALIf you kick the tin, you give someone money or pay for something. Fifty per cent of our customers said they would kick the tin for an in-car premium sound system.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
kick the tin
make a contribution of money for a particular purpose. Australian informalThe ‘tin’ was originally literally a tin can into which money was thrown.
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017