fall on one's sword

Refers to the practice of some Roman military leaders, who would commit suicide following a devastating defeat by literally falling on the point of their own swords.

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fall on one's sword

1. Used other than with a figurative or idiomatic meaning: To commit suicide by allowing one’s body to drop onto the point of one's sword.
2. (idiomatic, by extension) To resign from a job or other position of responsibility, especially when pressured to do so.
   • 1992, Paul A. Witteman, "Roger's Painful Legacy," Time, 9 November:

     Stempel was laboring to undo the damage when GM's board forced him to fall on his sword after little more than two years on the job.

   • 2009, Glen Owen & Brendan Carlin, "Even Darling thinks his Budget doesn't add up as relations with Brown hit all-time low", Daily Mail (UK), 26 April (retrieved 2 May 2009):

     "There is no sympathy for her. . .," one Minister said. "She may just fall on her sword, or Gordon might humiliate her with a demotion."

3. (idiomatic) To voluntarily take the blame for a situation.
   • 1987, Ed Magnuson, "The "Fall Guy" Fights Back," Time, 20 Jul.:

     The bemedaled Marine refused to fall on his sword and take full blame for the scandal.

   • 1996, Chip R. Bell, Managers as mentors: building partnerships for learning, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, →ISBN, page 81:

     Humility does not require you to fall on your sword.

   • 2006, L. Woellert and P. Burrows, "HP's Showdown: Hurd vs. Dunn," BusinessWeek, 28 Sep.:

     In written testimony given to Congress and made public the day before the hearing, Hurd falls on his sword, apologizing for HP's spying on its own directors and invading the privacy of journalists.