English Idioms

House Idioms

English idioms that use the word House, Home or related words.

House

safe as houses = very safe: "This plan is as safe as houses. It can't fail!"

get on like a house on fire = get on very well with someone: "Those two get on like a house on fire."

give house room to = give space in your house to something: "I wouldn't give house room to that lamp. It's horrible!"

eat someone out of house and home = eat a lot of food: "When they stayed with me, they ate me out of house and home!"

get a foot on the housing ladder = manage to buy your first house so that you can buy a bigger second one later: "It's becoming more difficult for young people to get a foot on the housing ladder."

get your own house in order = tidy up your own affairs before criticising other people's: "You should get your own house in order before telling me what to do!"

be on the house = be free (in a restaurant): "Can I get you a drink on the house?"

have a roof over your head = have somewhere to live: "Unless we find another flat to rent, we won't have a roof over our heads in two month's time!"W

build castles in the air = have impossible dreams or plans: "She has this unrealistic idea of sailing around the world. She's building castles in the air again."

lead someone up the garden path = deceive someone: "He really led her up the garden path with his promises of promotion and career advancement."

everything but the kitchen sink = take a lot of things when you go somewhere: "They took everything but the kitchen sink when they went on holiday."

throw money down the drain = waste money: "If you ask me, by giving your son all that money, you're really throwing money down the drain."

have a skeleton in the cupboard / in the closet = have an unpleasant secret: "There are a lot of skeletons in their cupboard."

Other expressions with house

housework = chores you do in the house: "She does all the housework."

house wine = the restaurant's own unlabelled wine: "Would you like the house red or the house white?"

house music = a type of dance music: "They played house all night at the club."

house speciality = a speciality of the restaurant: "Garlic oysters are one of their house specialities."

full house = a full theatre: "It's full house tonight."

Home

home in on = become closer to your target: "Police are homing in on the suspects."

there's no place like home = an expression to mean that your home is a special place: "What a great holiday! Still, there's no place like home."

home from home = a place that is as comfortable as your home: "The hotel was home from home."

be home and dry = succeed at something and not expect any further problems: "I'm glad we've got that new client. We're home and dry now."

make yourself at home = make yourself comfortable: "Make yourself at home! Can I get you a drink?"

ram something home = make a point forcefully: "They rammed home the idea that she had to get a good job."

Other expressions with home

home truth = an uncomfortable fact: "She's going to have to sit down and hear some home truths."

home comforts = the things that make you feel comfortable: "Our hotel room has all the home comforts, such as a coffee maker, reading lamp, nice soaps in the bathroom…"

homework = school exercises that you do at home: "Our teachers give us a ton of homework!"

homesick = when you miss your home: "He went away for two weeks, but was terribly homesick."

blow away the cobwebs = literally to get rid of the webs that spiders make, this idiom means to do something which makes your mind "cleaner" and fresher: "After sitting in the same chair for five hours, I wanted to go out for a walk to blow away the cobwebs."

like a breath of fresh air = someone or something who has new, fresh ideas or behaviour: "After working for the old boss for 20 years, the new boss seems like a breath of fresh air."

out with the old, in with the new = to change the old for the new: "We have a new CEO who wants to make his mark on the company. Out with the old, in with the new."

new blood = to have fresh people and ideas in an organisation: "In an effort to get new blood into our research department, we're having a recruitment drive."

shake things up (a shake up) = to change things a lot: "The government are having a shake up of their education policies."

give something a new lease of life = to renew something so that it lasts longer: "Those tablets have given our pet dog a new lease of life."

breathe new life into = to give new energy to something: "This sports club needs to increase its members to breathe new life into our finances."

New views

get a fresh perspective = to get a different point of view: "Let's ask the sales department for their opinion. The can bring us a fresh perspective."

see things from a different angle = to consider something from a different point of view: "Let's try to see this problem from a different angle."

Starting again

go back to square one = to have to start again because something didn't work: "Well, so much for trying! I suppose it's back to square one."

go back to the drawing board = to have to start again because something didn't work: "Unfortunately the plans didn't work out. We'll have to go back to the drawing board."

start with a clean sheet = to have another chance, perhaps because you have made serious mistakes: "He's paid for his mistakes, and now he can start with a clean sheet."

make a fresh start / make a clean break = to start something again: "Let's put the problems behind us and make a fresh start."

Some other expressions with change

a change is as good as a rest = it's often as refreshing to make a change than it is to have a break

a change for the better / worse = a change that results in either a better or a worse situation

a change of heart = when you change your mind on something: "I've had a change of heart. I think I'll stay in my present job, after all."

loose change / spare change = coins in your pocket: "Do you have any spare change for the parking meter?"

small change = money of little value: "I've got about 5 euros of small change in my pocket."

Here are some emotional idioms to tell people whether you're happy, sad or angry.

Here are some emotional idioms to tell people whether you're happy, sad or angry.

:-)

All these idioms mean that you are absolutely delighted!

over the moon: "He was over the moon when he heard the news."

thrilled to bits: "She was thrilled to bits with her new bicycle."

in seventh heaven: "They were in seventh heaven when they learned they'd won a cruise."

on cloud nine: "When I got the job, I was on cloud nine for several weeks."

jump for joy: "We jumped for joy when we got the mortgage."

:-(

These idioms mean you are feeling sad.

down in the dumps: "When she left him, he was down in the dumps for a couple of weeks."

feel blue: "She felt a little blue when she lost her job."

beside yourself (with grief, worry): "When her son went missing, she was beside herself with worry."

Annoyed because you have missed an opportunity

sick as a parrot: "He was as sick as a parrot when he realised he had thrown away his lottery ticket."

:-V

These idioms mean that you are very angry.

see red: "Don't talk to him about his boss - it just makes him see red!"

hopping mad: "She was hopping mad when she found out her daughter had disobeyed her."

in a black mood: "Be careful what you say - she's in a black mood today."

Less angry idioms.

cheesed off: "I was really cheesed off when I lost the competition."

to not be on speaking terms: "They're not on speaking terms at the moment after their row."

To be off someone's Christmas card list: "Oh dear. I think I'm off her Christmas card list after insulting her husband!"

have a downer on someone: "What's John done? You seem to have a real downer on him."

rub someone up the wrong way: "Those two are always arguing. They just seem to rub each other up the wrong way."

In desperation

These idioms mean you don't know what to do.

at the end of your tether: "I just can't cope. I'm at the end of my tether with all these bills and debts."

at your wits' end: "He's at his wits' end. He's tried everything to solve the problem, but nothing has worked."