The verb "start", and a couple of questions about it, please

Question

I was looking at the usage of the verb "start" online, and while doing this, some questions arose in my mind about it. My first question is about (1)"to start on somebody" and (2)"to start on something".
Although I found their meaning online, but I guess I couldn't get a clear picture of what exactly they meant.
After googling them, I found:

"To start on somebody" means "to criticize someone, to rebuke someone, or to complain to someone about something annoying that they did or are doing". For example: Don't start on me! I did nothing wrong! (Here, does "start on" mean "Don't rebuke me or criticize me"?)

The meaning of "to start on something", I read, was "to begin to use something or to being to deal with something". For example: 1. When did your baby start on solid food?, 2. I thought we would have lunch before starting on the cleaning, 3. She ate all the cakes, and then started on the chocolates.

My question, here, is that can't we just use "start" in examples (1), (2), and (3)? Does the preposition "on" give special meanings to it?

Thank you!

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

Laborious"To start on somebody" means "to criticize someone, to rebuke someone, or to complain to someone about something annoying that they did or are doing". For example: Don't start on me! I did nothing wrong! (Here, does "start on" mean "Don't rebuke me or criticize me"?)

Right. Whenever you feel that someone is about to criticize or complain, as is their typical behavior, you can say "Don't start!" or "Don't start on me!"

Leave out "on me" if they are about to launch into a long speech about their favorite topic (usually political), and you don't want to hear it again for the hundredth time. Say just "Don't start!" or "Don't start that again!"

You can only use these kinds of sentences when you are already aware of the habits of this person. You already know that they tend to complain or argue or speechify based on a lot of previous experience you have had with them.

These expressions are only used with people you know very well — family or very close friends.

CJ

CalifJim · Answer

LaboriousThe meaning of "to start on something", I read, was "to begin to use something or to being to deal with something". For example:
1. When did your baby start on solid food?,
2. I thought we would have lunch before starting on the cleaning,
3. She ate all the cakes, and then started on the chocolates.

~~My question, here, is that~~ Can't we just use "start" in examples (1), (2), and (3)? Does the preposition "on" give special meanings to it?

start solid food or start the chocolates sounds unidiomatic to us native speakers. We are used to starting a car (making it begin to function), where we can hear the motor suddenly spring into action, but food, including chocolates, doesn't seem to us something that we would start. The food isn't going to jump into motion suddenly because we started it. We are actually starting on the activity of consuming the food, not making the food do something.

start the cleaning is more subtly different from starting on the cleaning. You might use either of those expressions. To my ear, the first gives the impression that you're going to do all of the cleaning in one session, while the second (with 'on') gives the impression that you're going to do some of the cleaning now but the rest of it later, maybe even another day. Opinions may vary on this point.

Another way we express this is to make a start on (the cleaning / the washing up / etc.). on cannot be omitted in this expression.

CJ

The verb "start", and a couple of questions about it, please

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