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

[Laurence Horn]

> On Feb 10, 2016, at 3:31 PM, Joel Berson <berson at ATT.NET> wrote:
> 
> And "the drinks are on me"?  My responsibility (to pay for).  (Is this also AA?)
> 
> A very quick Google:
> 
> 
> Congressional Serial Set - Issue 4234 - Page 155
> 1900
> 
> 

That one *is* in the OED at 24e, 'Indicating the person, etc., who is to pay, esp. for a treat of any kind'  

1871   Republican Rev. (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 29 July 2/4   After the first round they said it was ‘on me’.
1893   W. K. Post Harvard Stories iv. 98   The drink is on me.
1902   C. J. C. Hyne Mr. Horrocks, Purser 78   And now come and have a bit of cheap lunch. We'll consider we've tossed for it, and it's on me.
1938   L. MacNeice Earth Compels 22   Five minutes spent at a bar Watching the fish coming in, as you parry and shrug This is on me or this is on me.
1991   J. Barth Last Voy. Somebody the Sailor 106   Two Coke sodas!..Treat's on me.

My favorite is the marital "on" at 22:

...
1870   R. S. Brooke Story of Parson Annaly xii. 96   The boy is a sweetheart of our Moll's, and wants to get married on her.
1894   S. R. Crockett Raiders 280   She's marriet on saft Sammle Tamson.
1932   J. M. Barrie Farewell Miss Julie Logan 89   Christilly is married on a provision merchant in Ireland.
1943   S. H. Bell Summer Loanen 29   God help the poor cratur, he was married on a sister av this man's.
1977   J. Pepper What a Thing to Say 13   ‘He's married on a cousin of mine,’ indicates that he is one of the family.

But no "on" of assigned responsibility.  

LH
> 
> 
>      From: Margaret Lee <0000006730deb3bf-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU 
> Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 2:00 PM
> Subject: Re: [ADS-L] on = 'the fault or responsibility of'
> 
> It's one of those phrases that originated in the African American community at least 40 years ago and slowly went mainstream.  
> --Margaret Lee
> 
> 
> 
>       From: Robin Hamilton <robin.hamilton3 at VIRGINMEDIA.COM>
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU 
> Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 9:28 AM
> Subject: Re: on = 'the fault or responsibility of'
>   
> Perhaps somewhere, hovering in the background, is, "(Blame it) on me".
> 
> RH.
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: Jonathan Lighter
> Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 11:08 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: on = 'the fault or responsibility of'
> 
> ---------------------- Information from the mail 
> header -----------------------
> Sender:      American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:      Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      on = '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
> 
> -- 
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
> 
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