on the block

Idioms  

1. . Offer for sale, as in These paintings will all be put on the block . This usage alludes to the auction block, the platform from which the auctioneer sells, so called since the mid-1800s.

2. put one's head on the block . Take a great risk, make oneself vulnerable, as in I'm not going to put my head on the block just to save her reputation . This usage alludes to the executioner's block, on which victims are beheaded, so called since the mid-1500s.

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Example Sentences

Sir Thomas More on the scaffold of Tower Hill comforted his executioner and was reported by a witness to have repositioned his beard on the block, joking it had committed no treason.

From The Wall Street Journal

In an interview, Atkins declined to discuss such platforms, but said the average Joe should be able to invest in private companies just like the rich, as long as there are guardrails so they’re not just buying “the worst thing on the block” with high fees.

From The Wall Street Journal

Work on the block was halted by an HSE "prohibition notice" in March 2024.

From BBC

Founded in 2015, IonQ may be the new kid on the block, but it has quickly set to work landing contracts and building relationships with potential customers.

From Barron's

Backlash came swiftly, as social media users demanded that Cho Sae-ho be removed from the popular variety shows he hosted, You Quiz on the Block and Two Days and One Night.

From BBC