28 Useful Idioms about the House and Home

Last updated on June 4, 2024 by Isabella Claire

In English, idioms about the house and home are particularly rich and varied, often weaving in cultural values, historical references, and collective experiences. These expressions extend beyond the literal walls and roofs that make up our dwellings. They delve into the emotional and social aspects of what it means to make a house a home, reflecting sentiments about security, comfort, relationships, and personal values.

List of Idioms about the House and Home

Idioms about the House

  • Halfway house
  • A house of cards
  • As safe as houses
  • Eat out of house and home
  • Get your own house in order
  • House of correction
  • A house divided against itself cannot stand
  • Get on like a house on fire
  • Go round the houses
  • Wear the pants in the house
  • Basket house

Idioms around the House

  • Throw in the towel
  • Throw money down the drain
  • Skeleton in the closet
  • Hit the roof
  • Smoke like a chimney
  • Go out the window
  • Build castles in the air
  • Lead (someone) up the garden path
  • Everything but the kitchen sink

Home Idioms

  • There’s no place like home
  • Home sweet home
  • Home away from home
  • Make yourself at home
  • Close to home
  • Be home and dry
  • Ram (something) home
  • Home in on

House & Home Idioms and Sayings | Image 1

Idioms about the House

House Idioms with Meaning and Examples

Idioms about the House

Halfway house

  • Meaning: A compromise; a temporary transitional phase between two extremes.
  • Example: “Since we couldn’t agree on either proposal, we settled for a halfway house solution that addressed both concerns.”

A house of cards

  • Meaning: A structure or plan with a shaky foundation, easily destroyed.
  • Example: “His business was a house of cards that came tumbling down the moment the market shifted.”

As safe as houses

  • Meaning: Extremely secure or dependable.
  • Example: “Don’t worry about the investment; it’s as safe as houses.”

Eat out of house and home

  • Meaning: To consume a lot of someone’s food, often humorously referring to guests who eat a great deal.
  • Example: “With the teenagers at home during the holidays, they’ll eat you out of house and home!”

Get your own house in order

  • Meaning: To organize your affairs before trying to manage others or give advice.
  • Example: “Before she critiqued my report, I suggested she get her own house in order.“

House of correction

  • Meaning: Historically, a detention facility where minor offenders were held and expected to work.
  • Example: “The magistrate sent the petty thief to the house of correction.”

A house divided against itself cannot stand

  • Meaning: An organization or group split by internal disagreements will not survive.
  • Example: “We need to reconcile our department’s differences; a house divided against itself cannot stand.“

Get on like a house on fire

  • Meaning: To form a quick and strong friendship; to get along really well.
  • Example: “Those two get on like a house on fire—they’ve been inseparable since they met.”

Go round the houses

  • Meaning: To take a longer than necessary route; to do something in an indirect or overly complicated way.
  • Example: “Let’s not go round the houses with this project—keep it simple and straight to the point.”

Wear the pants in the house

  • Meaning: To be in charge or the decision-maker within a household.
  • Example: “It’s pretty clear that grandma wears the pants in the house.”

Basket house

  • Meaning: A term primarily used in real estate to indicate a home with a distinctive architectural style featuring basket-weave elements.
  • Example: “They live in a charming basket house with crisscross patterns on the façade.”

Idioms around the House

Throw in the towel

  • Meaning: To give up or admit defeat.
  • Example: “After several failed attempts to fix the sink, we threw in the towel and called a plumber.”

Throw money down the drain

  • Meaning: To waste money; spend it on something with no return.
  • Example: “Buying that old car was like throwing money down the drain.“

Skeleton in the closet

  • Meaning: A hidden and potentially embarrassing secret.
  • Example: “Every family has a skeleton in the closet.“

Hit the roof

  • Meaning: To become extremely angry.
  • Example: “Dad hit the roof when he saw the dent in his new car.”

Smoke like a chimney

  • Meaning: To smoke a lot; usually said of a person who uses tobacco excessively.
  • Example: “Ever since he started working from home, he smokes like a chimney.”

Go out the window

  • Meaning: To disappear; often used in reference to plans or manners going awry.
  • Example: “When the team lost the game, all sportsmanship went out the window.”

Build castles in the air

  • Meaning: To daydream or create unrealistic plans.
  • Example: “She’s always building castles in the air, instead of taking practical steps towards her goals.”

Lead (someone) up the garden path

  • Meaning: To deceive or mislead someone.
  • Example: “I think that salesman was leading us up the garden path with all those promises.”

Everything but the kitchen sink

  • Meaning: Almost everything, whether needed or not.
  • Example: “They packed everything but the kitchen sink for their weekend trip.”

Home Idioms

There’s no place like home

  • Meaning: There’s nothing as comfortable or dear as one’s own home.
  • Example: “After a month of traveling, I’m ready to go back—there’s no place like home.”

Home sweet home

  • Meaning: Expresses the joy one feels when returning to their own home.
  • Example: “It’s been a long day; I can’t wait to get back to home sweet home.”

Home away from home

  • Meaning: A place where one feels as comfortable as they do in their own home.
  • Example: “This quaint little inn has become our home away from home.”

Make yourself at home

  • Meaning: To relax and make oneself comfortable as if in one’s own home.
  • Example: “Please, make yourself at home. Can I get you anything to drink?”

Close to home

  • Meaning: Something that affects one on a very personal or emotional level.
  • Example: “The novel’s theme of parental neglect hits close to home for many readers.”

Be home and dry

  • Meaning: To successfully complete something.
  • Example: “Once we get the signatures, we’re home and dry with the new project.”

Ram (something) home

  • Meaning: To emphasize something with force or conviction.
  • Example: “He really rammed home the importance of teamwork during today’s meeting.”

Home in on

  • Meaning: To move or focus towards a target or objective.
  • Example: “The missile homed in on its target with precision.”

Above is a list of most common idioms about the House you should learn to enlarge your vocabulary in English.

House & Home Idioms and Sayings | Images

Useful Idioms about the House | Image 2

Idioms about the House

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