on one's shoulders

on (one's) shoulders

In the position of being one's sole responsibility or obligation. My siblings' care has been on my shoulders ever since our parents died. I didn't want to put the survival of the entire company on your shoulders, but you were the only one I could trust could do it.

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

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.

See also:

on (one's) shoulders
on shoulders
on somebody's shoulders
be on (one's) shoulders
have (something) on (one's) shoulders
fall (squarely) on (someone's) shoulders
bring (one) up on (something)
bring up on
rub shoulders
rub shoulders with (someone)

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on one's merits
on one's mettle
on one's mind
on one's mind
on one's mind
on one's mind
on one's mind
on one's nerves
on one's own
On one's own account
On one's own account
on one's own ground
on one's own head
On one's own hook
On one's own hook
on one's own initiative
on one's own merits
on one's own terms
on one's own time
on one's own volition
on one's part
on one's payroll
on one's person
on one's pins
on one's plate
on one's radar
on one's radar screen
on one's right side
on one's say so
on one's say-so
on one's shoulders
on one's side
on one's six
on one's slate
on one's soap box
on one's soap-box
on one's soapbox
on one's suggestion
on one's tab, put
on one's tail
on one's terms
on one's tod
on one's toes
on one's toes, to be
on one's toes, to keep
on one's toes, to stay
on one's trail
on one's uppers
on one's watch
on one's wavelength
on one's way
on one's way (to something or some place)
on one's way out
on one's way to
on one's way to it
on one's way to someone
on one's way to something
on one's wrong side
on oneself
on opposite sides of the barricade
on opposite sides of the barricade(s)
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