on (one's) shoulders
on (one's) shoulders
One's own responsibility or obligation. My siblings' care has been on my shoulders ever since our parents died.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
*on someone's shoulders
Fig. on someone's own self. (*Typically: be ~; carry something ~; fall ~; have something ~; leave something ~; put something ~.) Why should all the responsibility fall on my shoulders? She carries a tremendous amount of responsibility on her shoulders.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
on one's shoulders
As one's responsibility, as in The king carries his entire country on his shoulders, or The success of the conference rests on Nancy's shoulders. This metaphoric use of shoulders as the burden-bearing part of the body dates from the late 1300s.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
on somebody’s ˈshoulders
if blame, guilt, etc. is on somebody’s shoulders, they must take responsibility for it: I feel like all the responsibility is on my shoulders, which is quite stressful.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017