What is "the tap" in "pick up the tap"

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Seraphin

#545579 Wed, 23 Jul 08 07:18 PM

What does this phrase mean - to pick up the tap?

To me, the phrase is confusing as it seems applicable in MANY different scenarios.

So what exactly is "the tap" ?

Thanks

Seraphin

Joined on Sat, Feb 9 2008

Full Member (122)

Questions

optilang

#545584 Wed, 23 Jul 08 07:31 PM

Pick up the tab.

It means to pay the bill.

I'll pick up the tab = I will pay the bill.

optilang

Joined on Tue, May 13 2008

Poland

Senior Member (2,175)

OptiNative British English Speaker Wherever I may roam, I'm still a Londoner.

Anonymous

#545586 Wed, 23 Jul 08 07:40 PM

Yes. What optilang wrote is correct. 'Get the tab.' means to get the bill, or the piece of paper that the waitress laid on your table showing how much money you owe for your food and drinks.

"Put it on my tab,' means to add the amount I spent today onto my ongoing bill. Usually when you do a lot of business with a place, they can keep a 'running tab.' That is, they keep track of what you spent and every so often, you come in and pay it off. To 'keep tabs on' someone or something means to keep track of it, to follow it in order to see how it is going along.

Carole in Umatilla