going on lunch

USAGE SUMMARY

"Going on lunch" is a perfectly valid sentence and can be used in written English.
It is generally used as a way to politely excuse oneself in the context of a business or other professional setting. For example, "I'm sorry, but I've got to go on lunch now. I'll get back to you this afternoon."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Jonathan was going on lunch: was she nearby, did she fancy hanging out?

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Ian Bell and Joe Root set the tone by batting for almost the entire first session, with Bell going on after lunch to make a determined 75 from 271 balls.

BBC

Because she's thoughtful and a sharer of information, she confessed to her mother that there was a "pay to play" scheme going on during lunch recess.

Huffington Post

Well… we do know most will be hammering the phones and going on long lunches in Soho with London's huge ad agency community.

TechCrunch

To walk into the church while lunch is going on is to enter one of the city's defining public spaces.

The New Yorker

We used to beg the supervisors to let us go on lunch together.

Independent

You have a sandwich, trawl some shops, then settle back at your desk at 1 PM, when everyone else goes on lunch.

Vice

While the smoking is going on, we grab an "informal lunch".

The Guardian - Travel

As the day went on, I spent time eating lunch in the park.

Huffington Post

They began going on regular lunch dates and became very close, revealing to each other that both hated going to dinner alone at Country House.

The New York Times

I was 55, and couldn't stand going for lunch on Madison Avenue with friends".

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "going on lunch" when politely excusing yourself in a professional or formal setting, indicating a temporary departure for a meal. This phrase can also imply that you will be involved in activities other than just eating.

Common error

Avoid using "going on lunch" in casual conversations. Simpler phrases like "going to lunch" or "having lunch" are more appropriate in informal settings.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "going on lunch" functions as a verbal phrase acting as a polite way to excuse oneself, often in professional or semi-formal environments. It indicates an intention to leave temporarily for a meal, suggesting a brief interruption of current activities as seen in the Ludwig examples.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Formal & Business

15%

Wiki

5%

Less common in

Reference

3%

Encyclopedias

1%

Science

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "going on lunch" is a grammatically correct phrase used to politely announce a temporary departure for a meal, primarily in professional or neutral contexts. While grammatically sound, as confirmed by Ludwig, it's less common than alternatives like "going to lunch" or "having lunch", which are more versatile. It's best practice to use it to politely excuse yourself in semi-formal settings. Remember to avoid overusing it in informal conversations, where simpler alternatives are preferred.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

going to lunch

This alternative is shorter and more direct, omitting the preposition "on".

taking a lunch break

This alternative focuses on the action of taking a break specifically for lunch.

having lunch

This alternative is a more general way of expressing the act of eating lunch.

grabbing lunch

This alternative suggests a quick and informal lunch.

eating lunch

This alternative focuses solely on the act of consuming lunch.

stepping out for lunch

This alternative suggests temporarily leaving a place to have lunch.

breaking for lunch

This alternative focuses on interrupting an activity for lunch.

stopping for lunch

This alternative indicates pausing an activity to have lunch.

taking a midday meal

This alternative is more formal and emphasizes the timing of the meal.

lunching

This alternative is a more concise, verb-form way of saying eating lunch.

FAQs

How can I use "going on lunch" in a sentence?

You can use "going on lunch" to politely excuse yourself from a work or professional environment. For example, "I'm going on lunch now; I'll be back in an hour."

What's a more common alternative to "going on lunch"?

A more common alternative would be "going to lunch", which is more direct and widely used in various contexts.

Is "going on lunch" formal or informal?

"Going on lunch" leans towards being slightly more formal, so save it for office settings. In casual settings, "having lunch" works better.

What's the difference between "going on lunch" and "taking a lunch break"?

"Going on lunch" implies a more comprehensive experience potentially including activities other than just eating, whereas "taking a lunch break" focuses on the break from work to eat.