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.

See also: on, shoulder

*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.

See also: on, shoulder

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.

See also: on, shoulder

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.

See also: on, shoulder