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Glite Dictionary
on someone's bill

on someone's bill

5.8
Put on a person's account so they pay later
  • idiom
translation icon : a cargo de alguien
  • It'll be on your bill.

Examples

  • And it never showed up on my bill.

    Sole Survivor (1984)

  • She said to just put the drinks on his bill since he was paying for the whole table.

  • Whatever you want, just put it on my bill.

    Bringing Down the House (2003)

  • Put it on my bill.

    The Public Eye (1992)

  • The gentleman over there just told me to put his drink on your bill.

    Paradise City (2022)

  • All them damages go on your bill!

    Shoot Out (1971)

  • I will put it on the Underhills' bill.

    Fletch (1985)

  • If you guys weren't neighbors, I'd put that chair on your bill, Bert.

    CBGB (2013)

  • The waiter asked if he could put the dessert on my bill instead of charging me directly.

  • If you want to order something, just let me know, and I'll have it added to your bill.

Synonyms

on someone's dime
vson someone's bill
  • Informal
1 8.1

Someone else pays for it

is charged to another person's account rather than paid at the time

Antonyms

out of pocket
18 6.4

You pay for something with your own money and are not paid back

Surface Forms

on someone's bill main

Morphology

on + someone's + bill

The meaning 'to be charged to a particular person's account' is directly derivable from 'on' (placed/recorded on), 'someone's' (possessive) and 'bill' (invoice/statement of charges). This compositional locative/possessive pattern is common across languages and contexts (e.g., charge to an account), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will likely understand it.

Etymology

On someone's bill comes from shops and hotels where a bill was a written list of what a person owes. If a cost was put on someone's bill, it was written on their account to be paid later, so today it means 'to be charged to someone else'.