Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. constr. with the, experiencing a given emotion, e.g. on the funk, worried; for examples, see the relevant n.

2. (UK Und.) concentrating or focused on.

1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 105/1: The crowd broke up and separated in different directions, those we were ‘on’ walking towards the kitchen of the great hospital.
1912		P.C. Wren Dew & Mildew 229: ‘If it’s Buggin, I second your motion. I’m on the bash, some, myself. I owe him a little personally’’.
1920		E. Blair in College Days (Eton) 4 1 Apr. in Complete Works X (1998) 64: I’m not much on to many things in this little island.
1956		L. Hughes Simply Heavenly I iv: I ain’t much on books.

3. to the disadvantage or detriment of someone, so as to affect or disturb, e.g. the joke’s on me.

1866		Harper’s Mag. July 271/2: There may be a joke about it; but if there is, it is on the Colonel, for he told me so [DA].
1887		G. Devol Forty Years a Gambler 199: Hold on; that’s one rub on me. Try it again.
1905		H. Green Actors’ Boarding House (1906) 103: ‘Yes, and we’re home. That’s one on you!’ laughed Fat Belly.
1916		J. Lait ‘Canada Kid’ in Beef, Iron and Wine (1917) 162: ‘Is there anything on you?’ asked the Reporter. ‘Clean as a sucker,’ said the Kid.
1926		J. Black You Can’t Win (2000) 244: The shoe was on the other foot this time; they hadn’t a thing on me.
1930		J. Lait Put on the Spot 157: Them guys only kotow to me because I make ’em—because I’ve got somethin’ on everyone of ’em.
1949		Sat. Eve. Post 5 Nov. 65/3: Old Doctor Winthrop, they say, when he entertained his classes with tales of Western exploration, used to tell that story on himself with a chuckle [DA].
1951		J.D. Salinger Catcher in the Rye (1958) 159: When they’re done combing their goddam hair, they beat it on you.
1966		J. Mills Panic in Needle Park (1971) 120: It dawned on me then that the con I had been admiring for the past few minutes had been on me as well as Mickey.
1972		(con. 1930s) N. Algren ‘The Last Carousel’ Texas Stories (1995) 143: The papers keep puttin’ every killing in Texas on Clyde and Bonnie.
1982		G. Newbold Big Huey 157: The Copper knew I was behind a lot of this, but he had nothing on me.
1990		in D. Campbell That Was Business, This Is Personal 19: They were just after dough, I don’t think they had anything on him.
2021		T. Pluck Boy from County Hell 101: ‘Whatever he’s got on you, I’ll help get you from under’.

4. debited to, paid for by, e.g. lunch is on me.

1871		Republican Rev. 29 July 2/3: After the first round they said it was ‘on me’ [DA].
1887		G. Devol Forty Years a Gambler 50: Boys, come on; it’s all on me.
1895		J.S. Wood Yale Yarns 160: The beer is on me.
1902		‘Billy Burgundy’ Toothsome Tales Told in Sl. 80: The boys would stand for it if the drinks were on him.
1910		‘O. Henry’ ‘The Call of the Tame’ in Strictly Business (1915) 103: A dry – but let that pass. Whiskey straight – and they’re on you.
1921		P. & T. Casey Gay-cat 202: The eats is on me, Frisco Red!
1938		G. Greene Brighton Rock (1943) 162: ‘Have a drink?’ ‘No, no,’ he said [...] ‘it’s on me.’.
1942		N. Algren Never Come Morning (1988) 71: How’s about a half-pint on ol’ Diz there?
1950		‘Hal Ellson’ Tomboy (1952) 24: This is on me [...] Everybody want egg sandwiches and coffee, as usual?
a.1964		‘Dumbo the Junkie’ in D. Wepman et al. Life (1976) 89: ‘Dumbo, my man,’ I said, ‘have a meal on me. / You ain’t eaten lately, it’s plain to see.’.
1981		T. Wilkinson Down and Out 108: There you go, mate, have that one on me.
1993		A. Rodriguez Spidertown (1994) 85: The food’s on me [...] Get outta here before my father starts to act weird.
2003		J. Lethem Fortress of Solitude 395: You don’t want to nosh? It’s on me.
2016		V. McDermid Out of Bounds (2017) 323: Fish suppers are on you.

5. destined to secure a seduction.

1907		D. Stewart Shadows of the Night in Illus. Police News 10 Aug. 12/4: ‘Lord, isn’t she a stunner! If it wasn’t for Sue Slapper I should be on!’.
1963		(con. 1944) L. Glassop Rats in New Guinea 115: It’s on there for young and old as long as she likes you.
1980		J. McClure Spike Island (1981) 317: A girl [...] doesn’t intend to have sex, just coffee and so on, but the boy thinks he’s on, and then rape happens.
1995		M. Simpson ‘Prufrock Scoused’ Catching Up with Hist. 23: Wot wud be the use if sum snotty-nosed Tilly Mint went an told yer y werent on afterorl?
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 185: she’s on 1. A woman regarded by male as available for sex.

6. (also on top of) pitted against, attacking; of a fight, in motion.

1908		‘Doss Chiderdoss’ ‘Penny Numbers’ Sporting Times 11 July 1/3: And, as soon as I saw one, as sharp as a knife / I was on him, I’m not one to tarry.
1944		C. Himes ‘Let Me at the Enemy’ in Coll. Stories (1990) 42: I could see my queen on this George Brown. My queen ain’t so bright but when she gets mad look out.
1971		E. Wilson Show Business Nobody Knows 125: They were on top of him again over the jury fixing.
1973		(con. 1930s) F. Huelin ‘Keep Moving’ 34: Start thinking against ’em, and saying what yous think and they’re on yous like dogs on a rabbit.
1995		R. Campbell Wizard of La-La Land (1999) 195: He was on Rialto like a dog on a bone when we jailed him overnight.
2008		‘Grandmaster Flash’ Adventures When Melvin said one of the other dude's mamas danced like a silverback gorilla, it was on: .
2018		Unknown T ‘Mad about Bars’ 🎵 If you’re on me, I’m cheffing you inside out / And if I catch an M, I will fly out.

7. due, owed.

1910		Bulletin (Sydney) 1 Dec. 18/1: Get to ’im, Lad!... You’re on a blanky drink / If you can wooden ’im! Good on yer, Bert!
1915		Drew & Evans Grafter (1922) 4: ‘[Y]ou’ll have to get to work on that [betting] ticket [...] You’re on the usual’.

8. playing a given musical instrument.

1926		Sat. Eve. Post 198 141: I had a New Orleans boy, Gus Miller, who was wonderful on the clarinet and saxophone, but he couldn't read a line of music.
2003		Guardian 24 Feb. 🌐 Hearing jazz and folk players going in the same direction on these lilting tunes, but taking a slightly different route, was the simple highlight, with excellent support from Jennifer Maidman on guitar and bass, Liam Genockey on drums and Chris Stout on fiddle.

9. terms of consumption.

10. up to an individual, the responsibility or choice of a person.

1941		C.S. Johnson Growing Up in the Black Belt 294: ‘[I]f you play with white children and hurt ’em you might get into trouble. Yes, my mother did tell me that if you fool around and hurt ’em it would be all on you’.
1967		J. Horton ‘Time and cool people’ in Trans-action 4 8/2: [I]n Ghost-town when the hustler moved, he usually moved alone and on a small scale. His success was on him.
1972		O. Hawkins Ghetto Sketches 179: ‘Anything I can do . . . to help you, brother?’ [...] ‘Nawww! It’s on me, it’s on me.’.
1974		(con. 1960s) R. Price Wanderers 95: Richie shrugged and got up. ‘O.K., man, it’s on you.’.
1991		L. Bing Do or Die (1992) 17: They did it [i.e. a gang-rape], and that’s on them, you know? All right? That’s on them.
2000		W. Shaw Westsiders 302: It’s on you, homie. Shock the hell out of me.
2016		T. Robinson Rough Trade [ebook] ‘If that little prick is too doped up to play, it’s gonna be on you’.
2018		I. Welsh Dead Man’s Trousers [33]: — He couldnae be Spud’s parent, Ali, it’s not on him.
2021		S.A. Crosby Razorblade Tears 33: The OG with nine bodies on him.

11. doing, having the responsibility for, taking the job of, e.g. Sally’s on nights this week.

1955		B. Schulberg On the Waterfront (1964) 16: He [...] put their husbands on as dues collectors and shylocks.
1986		C. Stroud Close Pursuit (1988) 91: Kennedy. You been on since six this morning. You look like forty miles of bad road.
1997		C. Newland Scholar 17: You man are barmy if you’re on what I think you’re on.
2005		Jade LB Keisha the Sket (2021) 19: ‘Yeh so wot u on?’ Ramel alerted me.

12. (sexually) attracted to.

1961		T. Taylor Baron’s Court All Change (2011) 37: I couldn’t see anyone really fancying her, unless they were on some kinky little nine-year-old girl [...] blushing and innocent.
2008		A. Wheatle Dirty South 131: You know I’m on you in a big way, Akeisha.

13. (US police/und.) of police or criminals, in an established corrupt relationship.

1973

P. Maas Serpico 166: The [policy gambling] collector was puzzled. ‘What’s the matter?’ [...] Ain’t you from the [police] division? You know, we’re friends with the division. We’re on.’ 199: When [the police] broke in [i.e. to a policy bank] they were confronted by [...] the banker himself, Manuel Ortega, and he was furious. ‘I’m on! I pay for the month!’ he screamed.

14. facing, destined for.

1994

I. Welsh ‘Stoke Newington Blues’ in Acid House 37: We were on a kicking.

15. sentenced for.

1994

P. Baker Blood Posse 321: He’s in Sing-Sing on a few murders.

16. (UK black/gang) capable of.

2018-20

T. Thorne (ed.) ‘Drill Slang Glossary’ at Forensic Linguistic Databank 🌐 On - prepared to do, capable of – as in ‘opps know what I’m on’.