A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

down on someone • down to someone
down on someone —(coll.) expressing strong disapproval of
smb.; reprimanding a person severely: “They’re down on her
for some reason or other,” he told himself. “Angry, most likely,
because she’s hung on to her boy.”
down to someone —being the responsibility of smb.; being
incumbent upon a person: You need to be a good communi-
cator to get your business vision across. Remember the success
of your business is down to you.
Note:
The expression is not antonymous in meaning to the
phrase up to someone— = down to someone: The success of
your business is up to you, your efforts and your commit-
ment.
down on something • up on something
down on something —showing dislike or hostility toward
– 105 –
down on something

---

smth.: Lots of people were very down on the idea of paying
for products that they aren’t using.
up on something —well informed or up-to-date about smth.:
Most of the psychiatrists in this country are not up on the lat-
est medications available.
down someone’s street • up someone’s street
down someone’s street—(coll., also: down someone’s alley)
within smb.’s competence or interest: The historical line of
inquiry is outside your scope, but the analysis of the book is
right down your street.
up someone’s street—(also: up someone’s alley) = down someone’s
street: A great many of the books published today are, as the
saying is, right up her street.
down-to-date • up-to-date
down-to-date —present-day; contemporary: The down-to-
date traveler discovered that without the aid of airplanes it
was only just possible to equal Fogg’s record.
up-to-date — = down-to-date: The Abbey was innocent of
anything so up to date as central heating.