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to drop sb/sth like a hot potato
01
to stop being involved with a person or thing that might cause problems for one
What is the origin of the idiom "drop someone or something like a hot potato" and when to use it?
The idiom "drop someone or something like a hot potato" originates from the notion that if one were holding a hot potato or brick, they would instinctively and hastily drop it to avoid being burnt or injured. This expression is used to emphasize the swift and decisive nature of distancing oneself from an unfavorable situation.
Example
There is a moment in the film where Sreenivasan drops her like a hot brick for reasons I will not go into.
When the scandal broke, the politician's colleagues dropped him like a hot potato to protect their own reputations.
As soon as they realized the project was doomed to fail, they dropped it like a hot potato to avoid further losses.
When we learned of the conviction, we dropped him like a hot potato.
