Household Idioms

Household Idioms

Our homes are more than just bricks and mortar; they’re a source of comfort, chaos, and countless memories. It’s no surprise then, that our houses have become ingrained in our language, inspiring a wealth of colorful idioms.

Let’s take a peek inside the fascinating world of household idioms and explore how they can add a spark to your conversations!

List of Household Idioms

Household Idioms with Meaning and Examples

Clean as a whistle

• Meaning: Very clean or pure.
• Example: After a thorough scrubbing, the kitchen was as clean as a whistle.

House of cards

• Meaning: A weak or poorly constructed situation that is likely to collapse.
• Example: The company’s financial structure was like a house of cards, ready to collapse at any moment.

Home is where the heart is

• Meaning: One’s true home is where one feels the most love and affection.
• Example: Despite living in different cities, they always return to their hometown because home is where the heart is.

Make a clean sweep

• Meaning: To completely clear or clean something.
• Example: After the party, they made a clean sweep of the house, picking up every last piece of trash.

Open house

• Meaning: A time when a house or institution is open for visitors to come and look around without an appointment.
• Example: The school is having an open house next weekend for prospective students and their families.

Safe as houses

• Meaning: Very safe and secure.
• Example: With security guards patrolling the premises, the museum is safe as houses.

Bring the house down

• Meaning: To cause a great deal of applause or laughter from an audience.
• Example: The comedian’s hilarious performance brought the house down.

Keep house

• Meaning: To manage the tasks involved in maintaining a household.
• Example: After her parents passed away, she had to learn to keep house and take care of her younger siblings.

Keep one’s nose clean

• Meaning: To stay out of trouble; to behave oneself.
• Example: He promised his parole officer that he would keep his nose clean and stay away from troublemakers.

Not a dry eye in the house

• Meaning: Everyone present is crying.
• Example: After the emotional performance, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

On the house

• Meaning: Provided free of charge, usually by a business.
• Example: The bartender offered us a round of drinks on the house to celebrate our anniversary.

Put one’s house in order

• Meaning: To organize one’s affairs, often in preparation for a difficult situation.
• Example: With retirement approaching, he decided it was time to put his financial house in order.

Set up house

• Meaning: To establish a household in a new place.
• Example: After getting married, they set up house in a small apartment downtown.

Tear the house down

• Meaning: To demolish or destroy a building completely.
• Example: The old factory was torn down to make way for a new shopping center.

There’s no place like home

• Meaning: There is no place that provides the comfort and security of one’s own home.
• Example: After a long trip, she sighed with relief, realizing that there’s no place like home.

A house divided against itself cannot stand

• Meaning: If people within a group or organization fight or disagree with each other, it will not be successful or effective.
• Example: The political party’s infighting weakened its ability to present a united front during the election.

A woman’s place is in the home

• Meaning: Traditional belief that a woman’s primary role or duty is within the household.
• Example: Some still hold the outdated view that a woman’s place is in the home, rather than pursuing a career outside.

House-proud

• Meaning: Taking great pride in the appearance and upkeep of one’s home.
• Example: She’s very house-proud; she spends hours each week cleaning and organizing her home.

In the doghouse

• Meaning: In trouble or disfavor, often with one’s partner.
• Example: After forgetting their anniversary, he found himself in the doghouse for weeks.

Keep open house

• Meaning: To welcome visitors without an appointment.
• Example: They always keep open house during the holidays, inviting friends and family to drop by anytime.

Life is just a bowl of cherries

• Meaning: Life is enjoyable and pleasant; everything is going well.
• Example: Despite setbacks, she always maintained a positive attitude, believing that life is just a bowl of cherries.

No joy in Mudville

• Meaning: A feeling of disappointment or defeat.
• Example: After losing the championship game, there was no joy in Mudville.

Not housebroken

• Meaning: Not trained to use a designated area for urination and defecation.
• Example: The new puppy isn’t housebroken yet, so we have to watch him closely.

Packed like sardines

• Meaning: Crammed tightly together, often in a small space.
• Example: On the crowded subway, commuters were packed like sardines.

Run a tight ship

• Meaning: To manage something efficiently and with strict discipline.
• Example: The principal runs a tight ship at the school, ensuring that students adhere to rules and regulations.

See which way the wind blows

• Meaning: To assess the prevailing opinion or direction before making a decision.
• Example: The politician was always careful to see which way the wind was blowing before taking a stance on an issue.

Take the floor

• Meaning: To begin speaking, especially in a meeting or discussion.
• Example: After the presentation, she took the floor to address questions from the audience.

Tear one’s hair out

• Meaning: To express frustration or anxiety, often by pulling at one’s hair.
• Example: She was tearing her hair out trying to finish the project before the deadline.

Throw open the doors

• Meaning: To welcome or invite people enthusiastically.
• Example: The new store threw open its doors, offering discounts to the first customers.

To a T

• Meaning: Perfectly; exactly as needed or expected.
• Example: Her new dress fit her to a T; it was as if it had been tailored just for her.

To the nth degree

• Meaning: To the greatest extent possible.
• Example: He pushed himself to the nth degree to achieve his goals.

Turn a blind eye

• Meaning: To ignore or pretend not to see something, especially something wrong or unethical.
• Example: The manager decided to turn a blind eye to the employee’s tardiness, knowing they were going through a difficult time.

Up in the air

• Meaning: Uncertain; not yet resolved.
• Example: The project’s future is still up in the air; we haven’t received confirmation from the client yet.

A house of cards

• Meaning: A situation or plan that is very fragile and could easily collapse.
• Example: Their business model was like a house of cards, relying on too many unstable factors.

At home

• Meaning: Comfortable and familiar with something.
• Example: She’s not at home with public speaking; she gets nervous every time she has to present in front of a crowd.

Go to the ends of the earth

• Meaning: To make any effort, no matter how difficult, to achieve something.
• Example: He promised to go to the ends of the earth to find his lost dog.

Go whole hog

• Meaning: To do something thoroughly or completely; to not hold back.
• Example: They decided to go whole hog and renovate the entire house, rather than just the kitchen.

Hammer out

• Meaning: To work out or resolve something through discussion or negotiation.
• Example: After hours of debate, they finally hammered out a compromise.

Home stretch

• Meaning: The final stage or leg of a journey or project.
• Example: We’re in the home stretch of the semester, with only one more week of classes before finals.

House of ill fame

• Meaning: A brothel or establishment associated with immoral activities.
• Example: The police raided the suspected house of ill fame, arresting several individuals involved in illegal activities.

Make a house a home

• Meaning: To create a warm and welcoming atmosphere in a house.
• Example: With her personal touches and decorations, she was able to make their new house feel like a home.

Get on like a house on fire

• Meaning: To quickly and easily form a close relationship or bond with someone.
• Example: From the moment they met, they got on like a house on fire, sharing similar interests and humor.

Spill the beans

• Meaning: To reveal a secret or disclose confidential information.
• Example: Despite being sworn to secrecy, she couldn’t resist spilling the beans about the surprise party.

Eat someone out of house and home

• Meaning: To consume a large amount of food, causing financial strain or inconvenience.
• Example: With three growing teenagers, they seem to eat them out of house and home every week.

Have a roof over your head

• Meaning: To have shelter; to have a place to live.
• Example: Despite facing financial difficulties, at least they have a roof over their heads.

Don’t rock the boat

• Meaning: To avoid causing trouble or disruption; to maintain the status quo.
• Example: In the final days before the election, the candidate’s team advised him not to rock the boat with controversial statements.

Get your house in order

• Meaning: To organize or manage one’s affairs, often in preparation for a difficult situation.
• Example: Before starting a new job, he needed to get his house in order by updating his resume and organizing his finances.

Sweep something under the rug

• Meaning: To hide or conceal something, especially something embarrassing or problematic.
• Example: The company tried to sweep the scandal under the rug, but it eventually came to light.

Go the extra mile

• Meaning: To make a special effort or go beyond what is expected.
• Example: She always goes the extra mile for her clients, ensuring their needs are met and exceeded.

So next time you’re chatting with friends, spice up your conversation with a household idiom! You’ll not only sound more articulate, but you might also spark some laughter or thoughtful discussion. After all, a homey idiom can feel as warm and inviting as a crackling fireplace.

Do you have any favorite household idioms? Share them in the comments below!

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