keep the home fires burning

keep the home fires burning

To maintain one's home, especially while one's spouse or other housemates are away. My grandmother often talks about how she kept the home fires burning while Grandpa was away at war.

See also: burning, fire, home, keep

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

keep the home fires burning

Fig. to keep things going at one's home or other central location. (From a World War I song.) My uncle kept the home fires burning when my sister and I went to school. The manager stays at the office and keeps the home fires burning while I'm out selling our products.

See also: burning, fire, home, keep

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.