Leave Someone Holding the Bag

Etymology:

• In 18th century, the expression was very common in America. The expression might have originated from the famous trick that boys in the town used to play on a boy who was new in the place. The new boy was taken to the woods, he was given a lantern as a source of light and a bag to hold and he was asked to wait there for any bird that will get attracted with the light which then could be put into the bag, later all boys would ran away and desert him alone there, with the idea no bird will actually come there.