0

Why isn't the preposition "on" used in both cases?

Daniel
  • 596

3 Answers3

3

They're different metaphors.

"On the spot" has two meanings, being at an important place when something happened/is happening and being put in a (generally difficult) position of having to deal with something.

The second of those two meanings (which is the one you reference) is based on the first. In the first "the spot" is literally the place where you are standing (sitting, running screaming in a panic, whatever), and you are literally on it. As someone "on the spot" in this sense you are suddenly put in the position of having to act quickly, so by extension the second meaning refers to this figuratively, solely about being put in the position of having to act quickly.

The tight spot phrase is also a metaphor of space and position. Here though consider being in a place that is literally tight ("in a tight place" and "in a tight corner" are other variants). You are restricted in movement and action. In is the preposition we would use for that literal position, so its what we use in a figurative use too.

The vagueness of spot in terms of places (it can be used, especially if we include colloquial and slang usages, for anything from an exact location one might be at, to a premises, to a part of town or larger again) lets it be used in expressions where different prepositions make the most sense.

Jon Hanna
  • 53,363
  • That was the nudge I needed to really grasp it. Thanks. – Daniel Sep 21 '17 at 15:54
  • Interestingly enough, there's a purely idiomatic use of "on the spot" which means "did it right then and there, without delay." The meaning you and the OP refer to I suspect refers to being placed at a putative target location, or less fatally at the location onstage where the main spotlight is. But either way, it means to be at a critical location when something important is/must happen. cf "Johnny on the spot" – Carl Witthoft Sep 21 '17 at 19:12
  • I thought putting someone on the spot represented something you'd see in court trials or hearings. The opposing side would put witnesses under the third degree in leading questions, or treat them as hostile witnesses, so I can see how putting someone in a tight spot would make that person feel uncomfortable. I thought it was similar to putting someone on the stand. – HeavenlyHarmony Jul 30 '18 at 10:27
  • @HeavenlyHarmony I'm not aware of spot being used as court jargon. Can you point to that? – Jon Hanna Jul 30 '18 at 11:34
1

Preposition exist to situate the reader relative to nouns (thing) or actions (verb). (Example: The rifle ABOVE the fireplace fell ON the mantle during the earthquake.) The use of prepositions is idiomatic. The best way to understand the differences in their use is to analyze the meanings of the phrase. The phrase "on the spot" means people are in an uncomfortable position, like a stage, and all attention is on them. Would you say put someone "in the stage" or "on the stage"? As for "in a tight spot", what you mean is, they are in a position of danger. Would you say, "Help, he's on danger?" or "Help, he's in danger?"

Jenean McBrearty
  • 29
0

The literal meaning of “in a tight spot” is a physical location where there are significant constraints on movement. When it’s used metaphorically, the preposition remains the same, as it is still evoking the sense of being surrounded by constraints. The literal meaning of “on the spot” is that there’s a particular location that is the focus of attention. So, for instance, in Wheel of Fortune there’s a spot marked on the floor for the contestant to stand while trying to complete the final puzzle. The contestant is literally “on the spot”.

Acccumulation
  • 4,945