arrive (up)on the scene

arrive (up)on the scene

1. To reach a destination, usually as something is happening there. When did the police arrive on the scene? By the time I arrived upon the scene, Kate and Jen were already arguing. It's taking too long for paramedics to arrive on the scene—one of us should start chest compressions on her.

2. slang To come into existence or to be born. Funk music arrived on the scene in the 1960s. We are overjoyed to announce that our baby daughter arrived on the scene at 11:37 last night. OK, last trivia question: when did the character of Mickey Mouse arrive upon the scene?

See also: arrive, scene

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

arrive (up)on the scene (of something)

 and arrive at the scene (of something)

to reach the location of an event in progress. (Upon is formal and less commonly used than on and at.) The police arrived on the scene of the crime. They arrived upon the scene of a frightening accident. What did they do when they arrived at the scene?

See also: arrive, on, scene

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.