not on

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search
See also: noton

English

[edit]

Phrase

[edit]

not on

  1. (informal, British, Australia, Ireland) Unacceptable or impossible.
    • 1998, James P. Hogan, chapter 24, in Bug Park:
      It's just not on. We can't go breaking into another lawyer's office. I mean . . . it's just not something you can do.
    • 1998, Simon Blackburn, Ruling Passions: A Theory of Practical Reasoning, page 124:
      A feature of a situation may be influencing us although we do not realize it. From the agent's point of view the motivational power and direction of a consideration may not even be recognized. We often do not know why certain choices are just not on, and others so strangely attractive.
    • 2003, Dan Connell (author), Lionel Cliffe and Basil Davidson (introduction), Taking on the Superpowers: Collected Articles on the Eritrean Revolution, 1976-1982, page 325,
      After a week or so, he and I determined that walking hundreds of miles behind guerrilla lines under these conditions was just not on for him, and he packed his equipment to return home.

References

[edit]