kick the can 

Figurative complaint about someone's unwillingness to confront a problem of the day, by instead letting someone else handle it later. By that time the problem will be worse.

They can't balance the budget; they just kick the can down the road.

kick the can by fche May 29, 2013

kick the can 

A children's game, typically played in one or more adjoining backyards. Players set up a base (often a frizbee is used), and place a can (may be a sand bucket, a pop can, an empty can of spaghetti sauce or even an empty nesquick jar), on top of it. They then decide which player is to be it first.

A player who is not it begins the game by kicking the can. All of the players (except the one who is it) run away and hide, as long as they are within the boundry limits. "It", must retrieve the can and place it back onto the base. It may now attempt to find the players. When It finds a player, he must call out that player's name and location. Should that information be correct, a race ensues. The player who is it must run and jump over the can before the (now found) player kicks it. If It wins the race, then the player i caught.

If at any point in the game a player (who has been seen or not) kicks the can, all players are free. This includes when a player out-runs "it" during a "race".

The round ends when all players are caught. The first one to be caught ten becomes "it".

The game ends when too many players quit, or their mothers force them to go inside.

There are various changes of rules in Kick the Can, including, but not limited to: a timed version, a no-race version and a version where more than one player is "it".

You guys wanna play kick the can?

kick the can by Paul September 25, 2004

kick the can 

to die; to terminate

That old man kicked the the can in prison last week.

kick the can by E February 16, 2005

Kick The Can 

The oldest known game in the history of humanity. The name speaks for itself; children gather around and kick a can to each other. The history of this game dates are far back as medieval ages, perhaps even further.

Centuries later.....thank God for Nintendo.

"Our present-day kick the can is hackeysack. Like I care though."
-me

Kick The Can by Dave January 20, 2004

Kick the can down the hill 

To get something started despite the majority of people not wanting it to happen

"god dammit smaced you always gotta be the one to kick the can down the hill"

Kick the can down the hill by E. Norma Stits May 30, 2022

kick the cannism 

The artful practice of putting things off, again and again, to avoid having to be in a position of responsibility, often an artifact of combined laziness and fear of being blamed.

Civil service bureaucracies are known for having entrenched cultures of kick the cannism, artifacts of cushy salaries and an overarching acceptance of reactive solutions in lieu of a proactive mindset.

kick the cannism by Dr Bunnygirl August 15, 2020

Kick the Canadian 

A game in which the main goal is to forcefully swing your foot into any part of the Canadian to cause as much pain as possible.

Requires a Canadian.

It's time to play kick the Canadian!

Kick the Canadian by Chris Collins March 11, 2005