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.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“My teenage nephews eat me out of house and home every weekend.”
“These hungry workers eat me out of house and home every single day.”
“Stop eating me out of house and home by snacking on everything in the fridge.”
“When my cousins stayed for the summer, they managed to eat me out of house and home within a week.”
“The new puppy is growing so fast that he is eating us out of house and home with his constant hunger.”
“I need to go grocery shopping again because my roommates always eat me out of house and home before Friday.”
“Hosting the entire football team for dinner is expensive because those players will eat you out of house and home.”
“The guests were so hungry that they practically ate their hosts out of house and home, leaving the pantry entirely bare by Sunday morning.”
first recorded 16th c.
Appears in The Second Shepherds' Play by The Wakefield Master (1400-1450), later used by the English playwright William Shakespeare (1564 (baptised) – 1616) in his play Henry IV, Part 2 (c. 1596–1599): see the quotation.
- 01
as if someone owns the place
Alternative form of like someone owns the place.
- 02
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.
- 03
beat someone round the ears
To beat (a person) with blows about the head.
- 04
bet the house
Synonym of bet the farm.
- 05
bite to eat
A snack or quick meal.
- 06
bless someone with
To give or bestow, as a gift from God.
- 07
bottom the house
To clean a house from top to bottom; to clean a house extremely thoroughly.
- 08
bring down the house
To garner enthusiastic or wild applause or laughter.
Last updated August 10, 2026