die on me

[Maybo]

Does “die on me” mean “die because of me”?

 

[Tarheel]

No, she's simply saying she doesn't want the plant to die.

 

[Maybo]

No, she's simply saying she doesn't want the plant to die.

Why “on me”?

 

[emsr2d2]

In this case, it simply means "while in my care" or "on my watch". You'll hear the phrase quite a lot from both BrE and AmE speakers. In films, when someone is badly wounded, their friend or relative might be holding them and saying "Don't you dare die on me! You have to fight. You're going to be OK" (or similar).

 

[tedmc]

It is an idiom which learners may find the collocation of words strange at the first encounter.

 

[probus]

I'm not so sure it's an idiom. To me "on me" indicates that the speaker has been receiving or hopes to receive something such as love or help from the sick person.

 

[jutfrank]

It's idiomatic but it isn't what teachers generally call an 'idiom'. We'd call it an 'expression'.