pick up the tab
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
It is conventional wisdom among advice agencies, local authorities and fuel boards that it's the women who pick up the tab for men's mismanagement.
We shouldn't be picking up the tab.
British National Corpus sentence via the MAGPIE corpus (CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review.
Common questions
What does “pick up the tab” mean?
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Is “pick up the tab” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.