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A new lease on /of life
Posted by ESC on November 09, 2001
In Reply to: A new lease on /of life posted by Bob on November 09, 2001
: : A new lease on life seems to make sense, suggesting that life is once again yours to occupy, like a property. Why then is it always quoted as a new lease of life? Any sources, folks?
: Never heard "of" over these past 58 years. Always "on."
And that was my initial reaction too. I was prepared to say I've only heard "new lease on life" and that "of" was just plain wrong. It just goes to show, you never can tell. Maybe it is "on" in the U.S. and "of" elsewhere? Here's what I found:
NEW LEASE OF LIFE - "Renewed health and vigour, especially applied to someone who appears to gain a 'second wind' after a serious illness or change of circumstances." From Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable revised by Adrian Room (HarperCollinsPublishers, New York, 1999, Sixteenth Edition).
