on it, phr.² — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

on it phr.²

1. (Aus.) indulging (poss. to a noticeable excess) in drugs or drink.

[1598		M. Drayton Moon-Calf in Chalmers IV (1810) 130/1: Lets have a night on’t, wenches; hang up sorrow, And what sleep wants now, take it up to-morrow. Stir up the fire, and let us have our ale].
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 14 Feb. 5/2: What made a man who had been ‘on it’ for 27 years, mad with rage, recently, was to read in the directions of a patent medicine he had purchased, the following preliminary direction:– ‘In order that this compound to be efficacious, it will be necessary for the patient to at once give up the use of all alcoholic and intoxicating liquors.’.
1902		Bulletin (Sydney) 13 Dec. 20/2: We were on Kurnalpi at the time, in the days when gold seemed to grow in the ground. We were ‘on it,’ and, therefore, while we didn’t give a hang for yesterday, we also didn’t give a d--n for tomorrow.
1951		(con. 1941) E. Lambert Twenty Thousand Thieves 76: They reckon Groggy’s on it again.
1960		N. Hilliard Maori Girl 244: We’ve been on it again.
1988		McGill Dict. of Kiwi Sl. 79/1: on it drinking alcohol.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. [as cit. 1988].
2020		G. Armstrong Young Team 6: Everywan in school wid be oot on-it at the weekend.

2. having sexual intercourse.

1955

‘Hal Ellson’ Rock 39: What’s that Benny going to do, stay on it all night?

3. (US) addicted, whether to a drug or to a person or experience.

1954		Hepster’s Dict. 8: On it – A dope addict.
1956		H. Whittington Forgive Me, Killer (2000) 65: I’m on it, I got the monkey, I got the itch.
1971		H.E. Roberts Third Ear n.p.: on it adv. addicted to drugs.

get on it (v.)

(orig. N.Z.) to go out on a drinking spree.

1959		G. Slatter Gun in My Hand 23: We thought we would have a couple in the lunch hour on the way but we got on it and stayed in the pub.
1988		McGill Dict. of Kiwi Sl. 49/1: get on it dedicated drinking of alcohol; eg ‘Is that you Colin? Hey, what d’ya say we get on it tonight?’.
1999		Guardian Editor 25 June 12: Did you ‘get on it’ with him? (This is Ray’s way of saying, ‘Let’s get off our heads till we drop’).
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. [as cit. 1988].