What it means
A tidy British way to say something's not acceptable, not fair, or out of line. You usually hear it in That's not on when someone's taken the piss, crossed a line, or pulled a sneaky one. It lands firm without going full shout mode, so it's perfect for calling something out with a bit of bite and a raised eyebrow.
Usage examples
"Dave nicked my chips, blamed the dog, then tried to charge me for ketchup. That’s not on, mate, sort yourself out."
"Cancelling on us at the last minute again, that's just not on."
"Charging extra for tap water is not on, we walked straight out."
"You can't dump your whole shift on me and bugger off early. That's not on."
"He ate the last biscuit, left the empty packet in the tin, then acted shocked. Nah, that's just not on."
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
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