- There is a metaphorical connection between ignoring something and sleeping; in both, someone is completely unaware. This metaphorical connection between ignorance and sleep drives the use of the phrase “sleeping on”. The use of the preposition ‘on’ in this phrase is also metaphorical; it is not referring to being physically on something in a spatial sense, but rather in relation to something in a more general sense. To be sleeping on is to be ignorant of. In both instances, the use of the preposition is metaphorical, and simply means to be in relation to the object. Sleeping on, however, has a slightly more specific definition than ignorance. If someone is ignorant of something, they may not even be aware of the object’s existence. Sleeping on has a narrower definition: the person is aware of the existence of the object, but they are not aware of its merits. This gives the term a particular meaning, making it useful as a phrase.
Sleeping on
verb; other word formation type Generalization
to ignore the merit of something
Etymology : verbal phrase consisting of metaphorical uses of both sleeping and on
Source : comment from a teacher, in response to eating a new cookie from a plate of cookies in the teacher lounge, “don’t be sleeping on these cookies!” December, 2018.
Last modified: 11 December 2019