house (redirected from houseful)

be as safe as houses (British & Australian)

to be very safe. Don't worry, I've locked your bicycle in the shed - it's as safe as houses.

See also: safe

bring the house down

if someone or something brings the house down during a play or show, they make the people watching it laugh or clap very loudly. The clown sang a duet with the talking horse, which brought the house down every night.

See also: bring, down

the [child/house/mother, etc.] from hell (humorous)

the worst or most unpleasant person or thing of that type that anyone can imagine. His mother's awful. She really is the mother-in-law from hell.

See also: child, from, hell

eat someone out of house and home (humorous)

to eat most of the food that someone has in their house. The boys have only been back two days and they've already eaten me out of house and home.

See also: eat, home

get on like a house on fire (informal)

if two people get on like a house on fire, they like each other very much and become friends very quickly. I was worried that they wouldn't like each other, but in fact they're getting on like a house on fire.

See also: fire, like

get/put your own house in order

to solve your own problems. You should put your own house in order before you start giving me advice.

See also: order

not give something/someone house room

to refuse to become involved with someone or something, because you do not like them or approve of them. A respectable organization shouldn't be giving house room to a bunch of bigoted fanatics.

See also: give, room

go (all) round the houses (British)

to waste time saying a lot of things that are not important before you get to the subject you want to talk about. There's no need to go all round the houses, just tell me straight out what's wrong.

See also: round

a halfway house

something which combines the qualities of two different things, often something which is not as good as either of those things on their own. It's sort of a halfway house between classical music and pop. (often + between)

See also: halfway

a house of cards

an organization or a plan that is very weak and can easily be destroyed. The organization that looked so solid and dependable turned out to be a house of cards.

See also: card

on the house

if food or drink is on the house in a bar or restaurant, it is provided free by the owner. We had to wait for a table so they gave us all gin and tonics on the house.

People who live in glass houses (shouldn't throw stones).

something that you say which means people should not criticize other people for faults that they have themselves. He's always criticizing Rick for the way he treats his wife and I feel like saying, people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

See also: glass, live, people, who

There wasn't a dry eye in the house.

something that you say which means that all the people in a particular place were very sad about what they had seen or heard and many of them were crying. She began to talk about her son who had died and by the end of her speech there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

See also: dry, eye, there, wasn't

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bring the house down

to entertain people very successfully, so that they laugh or clap for a long time. The clown sang a duet with the talking horse, which brought the house down every night.

See also: bring, down

eat someone out of house and home

to eat a large amount of food in someone's home. The boys have only been back two days and they've already eaten me out of house and home.

See also: eat, home

a house of cards

an organization or a plan that is very weak and can easily be destroyed. Their partners began to suspect that the company was a financial house of cards.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of house of cards (= a small structure made of playing cards)

See also: card

in the house

present. This is Sam Perkins in the house with all your favorite tunes.

keep house

to clean, wash clothes, cook, and do other similar jobs in a home. His cousin Ella lived there and kept house for both of them.

See also: keep

on the house

without asking for money. We had to wait for a table so they gave us all drinks on the house.

Usage notes: said about food, drink, or services offered by a hotel, restaurant, or bar

put your (own) house in order

to solve your own problems. You should put your own house in order before you start giving me advice.

Usage notes: usually said about someone who has many problems but criticizes others for not taking care of their problems

have your ducks in a row

See also: order