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Pick up the tab

Idiomatic Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

To pay the entire bill or cover all expenses for a group; commonly used in social contexts where one person voluntarily assumes financial responsibility for everyone present.

Detailed Definition
Pick up the tab means to pay the bill or accept financial responsibility for others. In poetry, the idiom can appear in scenes of generosity, courtship, friendship, hospitality, guilt, or social obligation. The “tab” suggests informal accounting, where pleasure accumulates before payment comes due. A poet may use it literally in cafés and pubs, or metaphorically for emotional, historical, or moral costs. The phrase is useful for exploring who pays for comfort, celebration, mistakes, and collective debts.
Example
Example in poetry:
A tavern ballad might have the generous sailor pick up the tab for every homesick crewman; In comic verse, the poet praises the moon but lets his friend pick up the tab; The phrase means to pay the bill; A poet can use it for generosity, debt, or social comedy.
Additional Notes
Pick up the tab means pay the bill, especially for others. In poetry, it can suggest generosity, obligation, guilt, hospitality, wealth, or exploitation. The tab belongs to social spaces such as pubs, cafés, restaurants, and clubs, making the phrase useful for scenes of conviviality or unequal power. Students should ask whether payment is free-hearted, expected, manipulative, or a way of settling more than money.
Also Known As
Foot the bill
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