[Ads-l] on = 'the fault or responsibility of'

[Ben Zimmer]

"Drinks are on me/you/the house" seems slightly different, as
suggested by these dictionary entries for "on":

AHD sense 13: "At the expense of; compliments of: _drinks on the house_."
ODO sense 11: "Paid for by: _the drinks are on me_"

But both uses of "on" would be covered by this less "splitty" sense:

MWCD sense 7c: "used as a function word to indicate the focus of
obligation or responsibility <drinks are on the house> <put the blame
on me>"


On Wed, Feb 10, 2016 at 3:31 PM, Joel Berson wrote:
>
> And "the drinks are on me"?=C2=A0 My responsibility (to pay for).=C2=A0 (Is=
>  this also AA?)
>
> A very quick Google:
>
>
> Congressional Serial Set - Issue 4234 - Page 155
> 1900
>
>       From: Margaret Lee <0000006730deb3bf-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>  To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU=20
>  Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 2:00 PM
>  Subject: Re: [ADS-L] on =3D 'the fault or responsibility of'
>   =20
> It's one of those phrases that originated in the African American community=
>  at least 40 years ago and slowly went mainstream.=C2=A0=20
> --Margaret Lee
>
>
> =20
> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 From: Robin Hamilton <robin.hamilton3 at VIRGINMEDIA.COM>
>  To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU=20
>  Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 9:28 AM
>  Subject: Re: on =3D 'the fault or responsibility of'
> =C2=A0=20
> Perhaps somewhere, hovering in the background, is, "(Blame it) on me".
>
> RH.
>
> -----Original Message-----=20
> From: Jonathan Lighter
> Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 11:08 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: on =3D 'the fault or responsibility of'
>
> I've been hearing this more and more, but I can't say when I first noticed
> it - possibly long ago.
>
> Not in OED, so far as I can tell.
>
> Mario Rubio: "Our disappointment tonight is not on you, it's on me."
>
> JL

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