on one's shoulders

Idioms  

1. As one's responsibility, as in The king carries his entire country on his shoulders, or The success of the conference rests on Nancy's shoulders. This metaphoric use of shoulders as the burden-bearing part of the body dates from the late 1300s.

---

Example Sentences

That was the curse of dreaming: One woke to pallid reality, with neither wings on one’s shoulders nor goddess in one’s arms.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

Instead of one bundle, one has two on one's shoulders, you understand?

From Yiddish Tales by Various

One must keep a head on one's shoulders and use one's reason.

From The Witch and other stories by Chekhov, Anton Pavlovich

It was made in the form of a cloak, and could be carried quite easily on one’s shoulders.

From Man on the Ocean A Book about Boats and Ships by Ballantyne, R. M. (Robert Michael)

One should bear one's foe on one's shoulders as long as time is unfavourable.

From The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 3 Books 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 by Ganguli, Kisari Mohan