Fall between the silos

Posted by ESC on August 07, 2007

In Reply to: Fall between the silos posted by MM on August 07, 2007

: The important responsibility falls between the silos.
: What does the phrase "falls between the silos mean"?

How was the phrase used? It sounds like a variation of "falls between the cracks" or "falls between the stools." From the archives:

fall between the cracks
Also, fall through the cracks or between two stools. Be neglected or overlooked; also, not fit either of two alternatives. For example, "Please make sure that either our department or yours deals with this account, lest it fall between the cracks," or "Trying to be both teacher and parent, she fell between two stools." The variant using stools, with its image of a person falling to the ground between two chairs instead of sitting down on one or the other, was already a proverb in ancient times; in English it was first recorded about 1390.
From _The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms_ by Christine Ammer

• Fall between the silos Smokey Stover 07/August/07