Chalk something up to means explain it by a cause: I chalked the delay up to heavy traffic. Success works too: they chalked their success up to careful preparation. Chalk it up to experience means 'treat it as a lesson': the failure taught you something, so you move on.
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chalk something up to + cause; chalk it up to experience
- I chalked the delay up to heavy traffic.
- They chalked the team's success up to careful preparation.
- We lost the deposit and chalked it up to experience.
What changed
First versionShe chalked the mistake up on tiredness.
RevisionShe chalked the mistake up to tiredness.
Blame it on uses on, so chalked the mistake up on tiredness looks logical. But chalk up takes to for the cause: chalked the mistake up to tiredness. The object goes between chalk and up, and with it that's the only order: chalk it up to experience.
Chalk up without to means achieve or score: the team chalked up its fifth win. Chalk up to means explain by a cause: they chalked the win up to luck. A close synonym is put down to: I put it down to tiredness.
Your turn
Choose the preposition introducing the assumed cause: He chalked the silence up ___ poor reception.
Show the answer
to — The cause is introduced by to: chalked the silence up to poor reception. On comes from blame it on, but it doesn't fit here.
Describe a setback that you finally chalked up to experience or to an unexpected cause.
I chalked his brief reply up to a busy morning rather than a lack of interest.
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