''Cover your ass'' (British: ''cover your arse''), abbreviated CYA, is a phrase that describes an activity done by individuals to protect themselves from possible subsequent criticism, legal penalties, or other repercussions, usually in a work-related or bureaucratic context. In one sense, it may be rightful steps to protect oneself properly while in a difficult situation, such as what steps to take to protect oneself after being fired. But, in a different sense, it may describe "the bureaucratic technique of averting future accusations of policy error or wrongdoing by deflecting responsibility in advance".
[ It often involves diffusing responsibility for one's actions as a form of insurance against possible future negative repercussions.][ It can denote a type of institutional risk-averse mentality which works against transparency, accountability and responsibility, often characterized by excessive paperwork and documentation, which can be harmful to the institution's overall effectiveness.][ The activity, sometimes seen as instinctive, is generally unnecessary towards accomplishing the goals of the organization, but helpful to protect a particular individual's career within it, and it can be seen as a type of ]institutional corruption
Institutional corruption is the phenomenon in public bodies of placing the protection of reputation above fidelity to the truth, especially in the context of an independent or public inquiry.
Institutional corruption is differentiated from cor ...
working against individual initiative.
Usage
The phrase ''cover your ass'' is generally viewed as a vulgar term, often replaced by the less-vulgar sounding initials ''CYA''.[ Safire identified ''CYA'' as a ]synecdoche
Synecdoche ( ) is a type of metonymy; it is a figure of speech that uses a term for a part of something to refer to the whole (''pars pro toto''), or vice versa (''totum pro parte''). The term is derived . Common English synecdoches include '' ...
, in the same sense that the word "ass" had come to reference the whole person. The word "ass" in the phrase is often replaced with more polite versions or other euphemism
A euphemism ( ) is when an expression that could offend or imply something unpleasant is replaced with one that is agreeable or inoffensive. Some euphemisms are intended to amuse, while others use bland, inoffensive terms for concepts that the u ...
s, such as "cover your actions", "cover your rear end", "cover your back", or "cover your butt", according to Safire. The "cover your butt" variant has been used in various ways, such as by Minnesota health authorities urging citizens to undergo preventive colorectal exams, as a way to "cover" themselves medically from possible future cancer. In banking, officers tasked with making sure the bank follows proper regulatory procedures, called compliance officer
The chief compliance officer (CCO) is a corporate executive within the C-suite responsible for overseeing and managing regulatory compliance issues within an organization. The CCO typically reports to the chief executive officer or the chief leg ...
s, may realize that certain dubious transactions, such as money laundering
Money laundering is the process of illegally concealing the origin of money obtained from illicit activities (often known as dirty money) such as drug trafficking, sex work, terrorism, corruption, and embezzlement, and converting the funds i ...
and terrorist financing
Terrorism financing is the provision of funds or providing financial support to individual terrorists or non-state actors.
Most countries have implemented measures to counter terrorism financing (CTF) often as part of their money laundering law ...
, will occur regardless of any regulatory restrictions; still, to protect themselves and their banks against possible future sanctions, they may engage in CYA activity such as issuing unnecessary memos, obfuscating documents or conducting transactions discreetly, as ways to absolve themselves from possible future liability. The term is widely used in journalism
Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The word, a noun, applies to the journ ...
. Safire explained how the term is used in bureaucracy
Bureaucracy ( ) is a system of organization where laws or regulatory authority are implemented by civil servants or non-elected officials (most of the time). Historically, a bureaucracy was a government administration managed by departments ...
:
In the novel ''The Negotiator'' by Frederick Forsyth
Frederick McCarthy Forsyth ( ; 25 August 1938 – 9 June 2025) was an English novelist and journalist. He was best known for thrillers such as ''The Day of the Jackal'', ''The Odessa File'', ''The Fourth Protocol'', ''The Dogs of War (novel), ...
, CYA finds mention as:
Because these practices are so routine, a genuine warning can be mistaken for CYA behavior, causing a type II error
Type I error, or a false positive, is the erroneous rejection of a true null hypothesis in statistical hypothesis testing. A type II error, or a false negative, is the erroneous failure in bringing about appropriate rejection of a false null hy ...
or false-negative error, with disastrous results. For example, in the summer preceding the attacks of 9/11, U.S. president George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
was briefed on a now-famous August 6, 2001, memo titled ''Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US
"Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US" is a President's Daily Brief prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency that was given to U.S. President George W. Bush on Monday, August 6, 2001. The brief warned, 36 days before the September 11 attack ...
''. Bush's response to the briefer was erroneously reported as: "All right. You've covered your ass, now."
In another example, before the launch of the United States spaceship Challenger which ended tragically with the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger, Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members aboard. The spacecraft disintegrated above the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Cape Can ...
, the final launch approval by rocket maker Morton Thiokol
Thiokol was an American corporation concerned initially with rubber and related chemicals, and later with rocket and missile propulsion systems. Its name is a portmanteau of the Greek words for sulfur () and glue (), an allusion to the company's ...
contained the phrase "information on this page was prepared to support an oral presentation and cannot be considered complete without the oral discussion"; this notice was later described as a "CYA notice" by information design specialist Edward Tufte
Edward Rolf Tufte (; born March 14, 1942), sometimes known as "ET",. is an American statistician and professor emeritus of political science, statistics, and computer science at Yale University. He is noted for his writings on information design ...
. In print, it can have the form of a disclaimer
A disclaimer is generally any statement intended to specify or delimit the scope of rights and obligations that may be exercised and enforced by parties in a legally recognized relationship. In contrast to other terms for legally operative langua ...
; for example, ''Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade, regional metamorphism. It is the finest-grained foliated metamorphic ro ...
'' magazine suggested that the White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...
used the phrase "It is important not to read too much into any one monthly report" as a disclaimer on reports, and this was described as a CYA activity. The term has been applied in the medical profession to describe doctors who prescribe unnecessary medical tests for patients, to protect themselves against possible future lawsuits. The term has been used to describe a cultural tendency which works against accountability and risk-taking, such as in a war effort when generals engage in much ''cover your ass'' activity which avoids taking real responsibility.
In regards to Congressional impeachment hearings into President Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
's talks with Ambassador Gordon Sondland
Gordon David Sondland (born July 16, 1957) is an American businessman. He is the founder and chairman of Provenance Hotels. Sondland is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations and served as the United States Ambassador to the Europe ...
, on October 16, 2019, Member of Congress Jackie Speier
Karen Lorraine Jacqueline Speier ( ; born May 14, 1950) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the U.S. representative for , serving in Congress from 2008 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, Speier represented much of the terr ...
(D-Calif.) told reporters that she was not sure whether lawmakers can trust Sondland's testimony to the House, saying his opening statement was "a lot of CYA."
In an op-ed
An op-ed, short for "opposite the editorial page," is a type of written prose commonly found in newspapers, magazines, and online publications. They usually represent a writer's strong and focused opinion on an issue of relevance to a targeted a ...
's inferred example regarding Trump's speech prior to the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
On January 6, 2021, the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., was attacked by a mob of supporters of President Donald Trump in an attempted self-coup,Multiple sources:
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, ''The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' columnist
A columnist is a person who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Column (periodical), Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs. They take the ...
Dana Milbank
Dana Timothy Milbank (born April 27, 1968) is an American author and columnist for ''The Washington Post''. He has written books about Al Gore, George W. Bush, Glenn Beck, American politics, and the Republican Party. He has appeared as a pundit ...
juxtaposed two of Trump's statements as evidence:
In Cambodia, under the Khmer Rouge, the government never had any idea how much food was actually being grown, because local bureaucrats "covered their asses", and lied to make themselves look good and avoid getting shot. Consequently, starvation was rampant.
See also
*Due diligence
Due diligence is the investigation or exercise of care that a reasonable business or person is normally expected to take before entering into an agreement or contract with another party or an act with a certain standard of care.
Due diligence ...
* Mistakes were made
*Plausible deniability
Plausible deniability is the ability of people, typically senior officials in a formal or informal chain of command, to deny knowledge or responsibility for actions committed by or on behalf of members of their organizational hierarchy. They may ...
*Principal–agent problem
The principal–agent problem refers to the conflict in interests and priorities that arises when one person or entity (the " agent") takes actions on behalf of another person or entity (the " principal"). The problem worsens when there is a gr ...
Footnotes
{{Reflist
Risk management
Slang
Prevention
Public administration
Metaphors referring to body parts