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Glite Dictionary
to welsh on

to welsh on

4 9.9
To fail to keep a promise or pay a bet
  • phrasal verb
  • /wɛlʃ ɑn/
  • Offensive
translation icon : [OFENSIVO] no pagar una deuda
  • I never welsh on a bet, so you can trust me to pay you back.
  • welshed on a bet
  • welshed on a debt

Examples

  • The military promised... and now they are welshing on that damn compact.

    The Right Stuff (1983)

  • I wouldn't welsh on him if I was you.

    Hercules in New York (1970)

  • I never welsh on a deal and I really do want the car...

    Used Cars (1980)

  • A marker is the one pledge which a guy cannot welsh on.

    Guys and Dolls (1955)

  • I've never welshed on a debt.

    Maverick (1994)

  • I scowled at the window—Keith better not try using this as an excuse to welsh on his bet—then I looked back at Samson.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • If you welsh on your commitments, people might stop believing in you.

  • It's important to honor your word; don't welsh on any agreements you make.

Synonyms

to break a promise
vsto welsh on
16 2.6

To fail to do what you said you would do

is more specific, usually involving not paying money owed or debts
to welsh
vsto welsh on
  • Offensive
5 9.5

To fail to pay a debt or keep a promise after an agreement

is identical in meaning but is an alternative variant form
to welch
vsto welsh on
  • Offensive
4 9.9

To refuse to pay money you agreed to, often after losing a bet

is broader, covering failure to honor debts or promises beyond gambling
to write checks you can't cash
vsto welsh on
  • Informal
1 9.5

To promise something you cannot do

is about failing to honor obligations, especially by not paying money when due
to welcher
vsto welsh on
  • Offensive
9.9

To refuse to pay money you owe after losing a bet

is identical in meaning but uses a slightly different name or form
to welsh out
vsto welsh on
  • Offensive
9.4

Fail to do something you promised, often by not paying what you owe

is broader, meaning failure to honor promises, especially by not paying money

Antonyms

honor
  • US
∞ 2.2

Respect given to a person for good moral behavior

to pay up
  • Informal
35 3.6

Give someone the money you owe them, often after they ask you

How Trustworthy

to welsh on
  • Offensive
4 9.9
to skip out
  • Informal
22 7.2
to cheat
474 1.2

Surface Forms

welsh on infinitive
welshed on past
welshed on past participle
welshing on present participle
welshes on third person singular

Morphology

welsh + on

The sense 'to fail to honor a promise or payment' is directly derivable from the verb 'welsh' (to default on an obligation) combined with the particle 'on' marking the target of the failure; this follows standard English verb + particle composition so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning. Although the verb 'welsh' is low-frequency and socially marked, that does not make the semantic composition opaque.

Etymology

The phrase welsh on is said to come from old gambling slang, where a person who refused to pay a lost bet was called a 'welsh' as an insult. That's why welsh on now means 'to fail to keep a promise or avoid paying'.