What does that mean?

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"The problem was down to the media."What does that mean?Q1. I know it to mean "The problem was caused by the media." Am I right?Q2. If so, can't it be used in the meaning of "The problem spread to the media" at all?

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

thanks3
"The problem was down to the media."
What does that mean?
Q1. I know it to mean "The problem was caused by the media." Am I right? Yes.
Q2. If so, can't it be used in the meaning of "The problem spread to the media" at all? No, but give an example of "down to" with that meaning if you have one so we can take a look at what you might mean.

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

thanks3What does that mean?

Well might you ask. It is modern "hip" lingo, apt to be misunderstood given the many, many uses of "down to" that do not constitute an attempt to sound trendy. It is not so "hip" that I can call it slang. Be aware of it, but avoid using it. Even conventional native speakers will sound like *****, as this writer does.

The OED shows two separate "chiefly British" definitions for this "down to" that could easily be confused in many contexts. This is the main trouble with such neologisms. They have a sort of floating semantic content. If they didn't, they would not challenge the reader to be as hip and trendy as the writer thinks he is.

1. "To be attributable to." This is the meaning in your question, probably. If you use "down to" for this, it will sound like you don't know the word "attributable" or any other clear, standard way of putting it. The first citation is a quote from 1955.

2. "To be the responsibility of." What was wrong with "up to"? First citation 1970 in Scotland Yard, seemingly from a glossary of criminal cant.

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