harp on
phr. v..phr. v.. to talk or complain about the same thing for a long time in an annoying way.
phr. v.. to dwell on a subject tiresomely or excessively; to persist in talking about a specific topic to the point of irritation for the listener.
I know I made a mistake, so please don't harp on about it.
My manager keeps harping on the importance of punctuality even though I am never late for work.
The editorial board continued to harp on the administration's fiscal failures long after the policy in question had been repealed.
- Particles
- on
- Separability
- inseparable
- Pattern
- harp + on (+ about) + object
often followed by the preposition 'about' or 'on' before the object.
the term comes from the musical instrument (the harp), suggesting the repetition of playing the same string over and over; compare with 'dwell on' which is more neutral.
Stop harping in your old problems.Stop harping on your old problems.the correct preposition following the verb is 'on' or 'about', never 'in'.