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    On Lindstromberg

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    Sofia Leinado

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    On Lindstromberg

    Uploaded by

    Sofia Leinado
    5 views8 pages

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    © © All Rights Reserved

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    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    5 views8 pages

    On Lindstromberg

    Uploaded by

    Sofia Leinado

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    ON

    Literal meanings

    1. Contact (with or without support)

    Contact with a supporting surface


    The book on the table
    The mirror on the wall
    The security light on the outside of the house
    A bug on the ceiling
    Chewing gum on the bottom of the table
    Cf.: A blob on a line (contact without support)
    A shadow on the wall

    Contact at ends & edges (no support)


    A rattlesnake has a rattle on the end of its tail.
    A balloon on the end of a string
    A petrol station on the motorway to France
    Catch your skirt on a nail/thorn/hook/splinter

    2. In the direction being faced &/or in the same direction as before

    Come on v move back a bit


    Come back a bit v come on back a bit more
    Cf.:
    The car sped on. (continuation after hindrance or interruption)
    The car sped along. (free cruising, no hindrance or interruption)
    The car sped off. (separation, neutral)
    The car sped away. (neutral)
    The travellers carried on toward(s) the setting sun.

    ON v ONTO, ON TOP OF & ON THE RIGHT/LEFT

    ONTO: forceful contact with a surface

    Powerful ocean waves crash onto the shore


    Spray the mixture onto the ceiling.
    The actor came onto the stage (movement into a location of prominence)
    How did we get onto this topic in the first place? (more vivid than “on”)

    ON TOP (OF):
    Literal meaning: higher than it is wide

    1
    Metaphorical usages:
    He is a really nice bloke and, on top of that, he is a fantastic goalkeeper (upward
    accumulation)
    You have three months to get on top of the job and move forward, or fail. (in control)
    Cf.: to be under an obligation, under orders, under pressure, under supervision, under
    suspicion, under the watchful eye of, under the weather (being controlled, oppressed,
    stressed, etc.)

    RIGHT/LEFT (HAND) (SIDE) (OF)


    Did you notice the oak trees ON the left hand side of the path? (close or visible)
    Veer to the right. (movement resulting in separation)

    Metaphorical usages

    1.1 Topics

    a talk on a subject (contact: addressed directly) ≠ to be off subject/ topic


    Cf.:
    a talk about a subject (not addressed directly)
    a talk around a subject (neutral)
    a talk concerning a subject (more formal)
    2
    1.2 The burden metaphor

    Unwelcome states & events are physical burdens


    There’s a lot of pressure on me.
    She gave up on me.
    It’s not fair on us.
    He drew a gun on a team-mate.
    They put the blame on her.
    Shame on you!
    Don’t take it out on me.
    May I impose on you for a moment?
    I wouldn’t wish such a misfortune on anyone.
    Bad luck on them.
    There’s a special responsibility on their neighbours to do something about it.
    To have sth on your mind (cf.: have sth in your mind (container))
    Drinks are on me. (self-inflicted burden)
    It’s incumbent on/upon me to act. (self-inflicted burden)
    I’ll have to draw on my savings.
    They are a drain on our resources.
    Ronnie went back on his word not to fall in love.
    Feed/prey/parasitize on

    Cf.:
    Turn your back to(ward) sb. Turn your back on sb.
    March to Washington March on Washington

    My boss is on my back about…


    Get off my back!
    They are under attack.

    1.3 Forceful contact from above

    3
    Jump/leap/ pounce on (dynamic)
    Two days later, he dropped the news on his parents: he had quit school.
    She always jumped on him about his drug abuse. [=vigorously criticized]

    1.4 Contact from any direction (including very forceful contact)

    Beat/pound/knock/tap, etc. on the floor/wall/ceiling


    Hit/strike/pat/stroke/rub/ touch, etc. sb. on the head/back
    Cf.: knock the door
    knock on the door
    How did you hit on the idea of studying executive failures? [=chance to think]
    He was drunk as hell and hitting on her like crazy. [=trying to seduce]

    1.5 Slower action

    To scratch your name on a wall


    Some acids act on plastic.
    Work on a math problem, a new painting, a thesis

    1.6 The basis metaphor

    Base (concrete)
    Most houses sit on a foundation.
    Many statues stand on a plinth.

    Cf.:
    Basis/bases (pl.) (abstract)
    To do sth on purpose
    To do sth on an impulse/a whim/a dare
    Rely/depend/hinge on sth
    We need to build/capitalize on our strengths.
    He had started the day on a score of 78.
    Judge/assess/evaluate people on their merits.
    Count on sth
    Do x on the basis/assumption that…
    4
    Do sth on your own initiative
    Do sth on sb’s authority
    That’s not much to brag on.
    Draw on your resources/reserves/savings (basis and/or burden metaphor)
    You can get by on six hours of sleep per day. (basis for minimum functionality)
    You can function on pure adrenalin.
    Thrive on sth
    Dine/subsist/get high/ overdose on sth

    1.7 Spatial sense

    Bet/wager/spend money on sth


    Spend time on a project

    1.8 Accessibility ⇒ availability ⇒ existence /currency


    The light/ the meeting/ the deal is on/off.
    It’s on sale/display/exhibition. (cf., take sth off sale/display)
    To come on(to) the scene

    1.9 Progressive aspect

    A house on fire (a house burning)


    Soldiers on guard (soldiers guarding a place)
    Soldiers on duty (performing their duty)
    I’m always on the go and I just don't have the energy to cook a real meal.
    To be on the move
    “I’m a man on the run and a man on the run is a dangerous one.”
    Their popularity is on the wane.
    Their popularity is on the increase.

    1.10 Visual contact from a superior position/above

    One had to look on the running of this race as a pure formality.


    She looked in on the children.
    Cf.: look up to sb. (admire)

    2.1 Continue, progress (after pause, hindrance)

    Go on reading, keep on, speak on


    Get on with sb (progress along “the road of life”)

    Time
    5
    1. ON: medium size

    On Friday/ the day…/this occasion


    They came on the dot at the time they said they would. (contact?)
    On arriving/ on arrival, we went straight to the front desk.
    Cf.:
    AT: point-like
    At the moment
    IN: larger units of time, enough to be “in” or zoomed in perspectives
    In the Stone Age, the last century, 2016, winter, the first week of March, the morning

    2. ON: movement into the future

    Ten years on, he would be 22.


    To march on into the future
    It’s getting on towards 5 o’clock.

    OFF
    6
    Literal meanings

    1. Path showing SEPARATION from (the surface of) support (DYNAMIC)

    knock/push/brush/blow x off y
    fend off a tackler (not on but approaching)
    ward off an attacker (not on but approaching)
    The rocket lifted off (the launching pad).
    The plane took off (from the ground).

    2. not in contact with, SEPARATION (STATIVE)

    Keep off the grass. (prior or potential contact)


    The cat is off the table. (prior or potential contact)

    Cf.: away from

    Metaphorical usages

    Disappearance, decline, undoing

    Business has fallen/ tapered off.


    He drifted off (to sleep).
    Why had Christmas almost died off in England before Queen Victoria and Prince Albert?
    (gradual)
    Why did dinosaurs die out? (categorical)

    not good enough

    Don’t drink this milk. It is off/ has gone off.


    He knew his behaviour was off, and he apologized.

    dynamic separation/ distance

    7
    To take the veil off the fraud
    Cross sb off your list of marriage material
    Take a topic off the agenda
    Ward off a cold
    Cordon/seal off a crime scene
    Wall yourself off from the world
    Put off an engagement
    Shrug off an insult
    Write off a liability
    Tell sb off
    The smell of fish was off-putting.
    I was about to go into the shop, but the smell put me off.
    Oysters are off the menu. (=not included on the menu anymore)
    Sales took off.
    The bomb went off.
    The alarm clock went off.

    source

    I got the knife off him while he was asleep. (vivid, colloquial alternative to from)
    To live off your parents/ the interest from your savings
    Cf.: To live on the interest from your savings (=affected)

    Time

    2._OFF: distance into the future

    Newspapers by computer were still a few years off in 1981.

    Bibliography
    Lindstromberg, S. (2010) English Prepositions Explained. Revised Edition. John Benjamins
    Publishing Company: Amsterdam

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