[on the brink of]{adv. phr.} Facing a new event that’s about to happen. •/"I am on the brink of a new discovery," our physics professor proudly announced./

[on the button]{adv. adj.}, {slang} At the right place; at the heart of the matter. •/John’s remark was right on the button./ Compare: ON THE DOT.

[on the cards] See: IN THE CARDS.

[on the carpet] See: CALL ON THE CARPET.

[on the cheap]{adv. phr.} Inexpensively; on a tight budget. •/She buys most of her clothes on the cheap in secondhand stores./

[on the chin] See: TAKE IT ON THE CHIN.

[on the contrary]{adv. phr.} Exactly the opposite; rather; instead. •/The principal thought that the children went to the zoo; on the contrary, they went to the bakery./ •/"You don’t like football, do you?" "On the contrary, I like it very much."/ Compare: TO THE CONTRARY.

[on the cuff]{adj.} or {adv. phr.}, {informal} Agreeing to pay later; to be paid for later; on credit. •/Peter lost the money that Mother gave him to buy meat, and the store would not let him have meat on the cuff./ •/Many people buy cars and television sets on the cuff./

[on the dole]{adv. phr.} Drawing unemployment benefits. •/When Jim lost his job he got on the dole and is still on it./

[on the dot] also [on the button] {adv. phr.}, {informal} Exactly on time; not early and not late. •/Susan arrived at the party at 2:00 P.M. on the dot./ •/Ben’s plane arrived on the dot./

[on the double!]{adv. phr.} Hurry up! •/"Let’s go! On the double!" the pilot cried, as he started up the engine of the small plane./

[on the eve of]{prep.} Just before (an event). •/On the eve of the election, the president proposed a plan to cut taxes./

[on the face of it]{adv. phr.} Apparently; as it seems. •/On the face of it, Joe’s claim that he can swim five miles is true./ •/His statement that he is a millionaire is, on the face of it, false./

[on the fence]{adj.} or {adv. phr.} Not able, or not wanting to choose; in doubt; undecided. — Often used with "sit". •/Jack sat on the fence for a week last spring before he finally joined the track team instead of the baseball team./ •/Mrs. Jones has decided to vote for the Democrats, but Mr. Jones is still on the fence./ See: FENCE-SITTER or FENCE-SITTING.

[on the fly(1)]{adv. phr.} 1. While in the air; in flight. •/The bird caught a bug on the fly./ •/Joe was called out because the catcher caught the ball on the fly./ 2. {informal} Between other activities; while busy with many things. •/The president was so busy that he had to dictate letters on the fly./ •/John is very busy, and people who want to talk to him have to catch him on the fly./ Compare: ON THE GO, ON THE WING(2).

[on the fly(2)]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Busy; going somewhere in a hurry; going about doing things. •/Getting the house ready for the visitors kept Mother on the fly all day./ •/The housekeeper of our school is always on the fly./

[on the go]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Active and busy. •/Successful businessmen are on the go most of the time./ •/Healthy, happy people are usually on the go./ Compare: ON THE MOVE.

[on the heels of]{prep.} Just after; following (something, especially an event). — Often used with "hard" for emphasis. •/Hard on the heels of the women’s liberation parade, homosexuals declared a "gay pride week."/

[on the hog] See: LIVE HIGH OFF THE HOG or EAT HIGH ON THE HOG.

[on the hour]{adv. phr.} Each time the hour has zero minutes and zero seconds. •/The uptown bus goes past the school on the hour./ •/The woman must take her pill on the hour./

[on the house]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Paid for by the owner. •/At the opening of the new hotel, the champagne was on the house./ •/Oscar was the first customer at the diner, so his lunch was on the house./

[on the increase] See: ON THE WAX. Contrast: ON THE DECREASE, ON THE WANE.

[on the job]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Working hard; not wasting time. •/Joe was on the job all of the time that he was at work./ •/The school paper came out on time because the editors were on the job./

[on the knees of the gods] See: IN THE LAP OF THE GODS.

[on the lam]{adj.} or {adv. phr.}, {slang} Running away, especially from the law; in flight. •/The bank robber was on the lam for ten months before the police caught him./ — Sometimes used in the phrase "take it on the lam". •/After a big quarrel with her father, the girl took it on the lam./

[on the level]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Honest and fair; telling the whole truth. •/Our teacher respects the students who are on the level with her./ •/Joyce wondered if the fortune-teller was on the level./

[on the line] See: LAY ON THE LINE or PUT ON THE LINE.

[on the lips] See: HANG ON THE WORDS OF or HANG ON THE LIPS OF.

[on the lookout]{adj. phr.} Watching closely. •/The little boy was on the lookout for his father./ •/Forest rangers are always on the lookout for forest fires./ •/The doctor is on the lookout for a new secretary./

[on the loose]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Free to go; not shut in or stopped by anything. •/The zookeeper forgot to close the gate to the monkey cage and the monkeys were on the loose./ •/All of the seniors were on the loose on "Senior Skip Day."/

[on the make]{adj.}, {slang} 1. Promiscuous or aggressive in one’s sexual advances. •/I can’t stand Murray; he’s always on the make./ 2. Pushing to get ahead in one’s career; doing anything to succeed. •/The new department head is a young man on the make, who expects to be company president in ten years./

[on the map] See: PUT ON THE MAP.

[on the market]{adj. phr.} For sale. •/In the summer many fresh vegetables are on the market./ •/The Goodwins put their house on the market in January, but they did not sell it till August./

[on the mend]{adj. phr.} Healing; becoming better. •/John’s broken leg is on the mend./ •/Mary’s relationship with Joan is on the mend./

[on die money]{adv. phr.} Exactly right; exactly accurate. •/Algernon won the lottery; the numbers he picked were right on the money./ Compare: ON THE NOSE.

[on the move]{adj.} or {adv. phr.} 1. Moving around from place to place; in motion. •/It was a very cold day, and the teacher watching the playground kept on the move to stay warm./ •/It was vacation time, and the highways were full of families on the move./ 2. Moving forward; going somewhere. •/The candidate promised that if people would make him president, he would get the country on the move./

[on the nose]{adv. phr.}, {informal} Just right; exactly. •/Stanley hit the ball on the nose./ •/The airplane pilot found the small landing field on the nose./

[on the other foot] See: SHOE ON THE OTHER FOOT.

[on the other hand]{adv. phr.} Looking at the other side; from another point of view. — Used to introduce an opposite or different fact or idea. •/Jim wanted to go to the movies; his wife, on the other hand, wanted to stay home and read./ •/Mr. Harris may still want a boy to mow his lawn; on the other hand, he may have found someone to do it./ Compare: ON ONE HAND.