ENGLISH
REFERENCE

eat someone out of house and home

idiom
Meaning

To consume so much of someone's store of food that little or none is left for the owner.


Origin

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.

Examples
SIMPLE

My teenage nephews eat me out of house and home every weekend.

CONTEXTUAL

When my cousins stayed for the summer, they managed to eat me out of house and home within a week.

COMPLEX

The guests were so hungry that they practically ate their hosts out of house and home, leaving the pantry entirely bare by Sunday morning.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    as if someone owns the place

    Alternative form of like someone owns the place.

  2. 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.

  3. 03

    beat someone round the ears

    To beat (a person) with blows about the head.

  4. 04

    bet the house

    Synonym of bet the farm.

  5. 05

    bite to eat

    A snack or quick meal.

  6. 06

    bless someone with

    To give or bestow, as a gift from God.

  7. 07

    bottom the house

    To clean a house from top to bottom; to clean a house extremely thoroughly.

  8. 08

    bring down the house

    To garner enthusiastic or wild applause or laughter.

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