Pick up the tab
Meaning
To pay the entire bill or expense for someone else, especially at a restaurant, bar, or for an event.
Origin
In the bustling taverns, inns, and early restaurants of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a customer's running total of drinks, food, and other services was meticulously jotted down. This physical record, often on a small slate, card, or piece of paper, was colloquially known as a 'tab,' a convenient shortening of 'tablet' or 'table' where the charges were listed. When a generous patron wished to cover the expenses for their companions, they would physically 'pick up' this record, taking it to the proprietor to settle the entire account. This concrete action of handling the bill quickly transformed into the popular idiom we use today, signifying the act of footing the entire cost for a group, no matter how substantial.
Examples
- After closing the major deal, the company president generously offered to pick up the tab for the celebratory dinner.
- It was my sister's birthday, so I insisted on picking up the tab for her and all her friends at the karaoke bar.