ENGLISH
REFERENCE

bang on about

phr. v..
C1 Advanced Oxford

phr. v.. to talk about something for a long time in a way that is boring or annoying for others.

phr. v.. to speak at length and repetitively about a specific topic, typically causing irritation to the listener; carries a strong informal and pejorative register.


SIMPLE

He is always banging on about his new car.

CONTEXTUAL

I wish she would stop banging on about her holiday photos because we have work to finish.

COMPLEX

The politician continued to bang on about tax reform long after the audience had lost interest in the technical details of the proposal.

Particles
on about
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
bang + on + about + object
Usage

highly informal; usually followed by the preposition 'about' and a noun or gerund.

Teaching tip

this is a more colorful, British-inflected alternative to 'keep talking about'; use it to teach students how to express mild social frustration.

Pitfall

He bangs on his job all day.He bangs on about his job all day.the preposition 'about' is necessary to connect the action to the topic being discussed.

© 2026 English Reference