love on

love on pronunciation

/LUV on/

Meaning

Loving somebody is the feeling. Loving on them is the doing: squeezing a grandbaby, petting a dog till it flops over, or rocking a fussy kid till they settle. In porch and kitchen talk it usually means warm physical attention, not a speech about how much you care. You hear it most about babies, pets, and family that needs a little extra.

How folks use it

• “Come here and let Nana love on you a minute.”
• “She's been lovin' on that new puppy all afternoon.”

Origin and etymology

Southern and Appalachian English have long used love for hugging and caressing, not only for the emotion. The Dictionary of American Regional English notes that older sense, and speakers later settled on love on (and the older love up) for showering someone with affection. Early printed talk shows up in Southern dialogue. Church folks later borrowed it for caring by action, but the phrase was porch talk first.

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