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Winnipeg Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

Place Blame

http://www.anthonygold.co.uk/site/library/firmnews/settlement_following_implanon_contraceptive_device_failure
"Instead, the clinic placed the blame at the hands of the Defendant nurse, AK who had carried out the procedure on 9 January 2009 during the course of her employment."

How is "place the blame at the hands of" different from "place the blame on"?
  

Top answer

Hi, The former is completely unidiomatic and unnatural. It does seem to get some Google hits, but there are some strange things on the 'net. The latter is completely idiomatic and natural.

  • Hi, The former is completely unidiomatic and unnatural.
  • It does seem to get some Google hits, but there are some strange things on the 'net.
  • The latter is completely idiomatic and natural.
  • Perhaps the writer was thinking of the idioms, 'place the blame on the head of .
  • ' or 'He died at the hands of .
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1 Answers
0
Hi,

The former is completely unidiomatic and unnatural. It does seem to get some Google hits, but there are some strange things on the 'net.
The latter is completely idiomatic and natural.

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