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harp on

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harp on someone or something

Fig. to keep talking or complaining about someone or something; to refer to someone or something again and again. I wish you would quit harping on Jeff all the time. He couldn't be all that bad. Stop harping on my mistakes and work on your own.

See also: harp, on

harp on something

to repeat something many times in an annoying way I'm tired of people who keep harping on what is wrong with the country.

Usage notes: said especially about complaints

See also: harp, on

harp on

Dwell on; talk or write about to a tedious and excessive extent. For example, She kept harping on the fact that she had no household help at all. This expression is a shortening of harp on the same string, meaning "to play the same note over and over." It was first recorded in 1518.

See also: harp, on

harp on

v.

To talk about something to an excessive and tedious degree; dwell on something: Every day my teacher harps on the importance of getting to class on time.

See also: harp, on