basket house
A cafe or similar establishment where musical performances are given and the performers are then paid with money placed in a basket by members of the audience.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“We listen to live music at the local basket house every Friday.”
“The young guitarist played a beautiful set at the basket house, hoping the audience would fill his basket with tips.”
“The city's vibrant folk scene thrived in the dimly lit basket house, where performers relied entirely on the generosity of the crowd to earn their keep.”
- 01
bet the house
Synonym of bet the farm.
- 02
bottom the house
To clean a house from top to bottom; to clean a house extremely thoroughly.
- 03
bring down the house
To garner enthusiastic or wild applause or laughter.
- 04
eat someone out of house and home
To consume so much of someone's store of food that little or none is left for the owner.
- 05
go around the houses
Do something (especially talking) circuitously.
- 06
house cooling party
A party to celebrate when a person decides to leave a house or flat, and sometimes to help prepare the space for the incoming residents.
- 07
house nigger
A subservient or accultured black person; an Uncle Tom or black race traitor.
- 08
house of cards
A structure or argument built on a shaky foundation.
Last updated August 10, 2026