# the call is coming from inside the house

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/the-call-is-coming-from-inside-the-house
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A problem is the result of internal factors or agents, and is not the result of outside influence or interference.

## Examples

- We cannot blame competitors because the call is coming from inside the house.
- Our team's low morale shows that the call is coming from inside the house.
- The company realized that the security breach was an inside job, proving that the call is coming from inside the house.
- The manager stopped blaming the slow internet on the provider when she realized the call is coming from inside the house because of our old equipment.
- Instead of accusing other departments of wasting money, the director admitted the call is coming from inside the house after seeing his own staff's spending.
- When the organization discovered that the corruption originated within its own board of directors, they realized the call is coming from inside the house.

## Origin

A horror-movie cliché derived from the 1974 film Black Christmas. The line appears in the film to signify that a perceived external threat is already present within the domestic space, establishing a trope that has since become a standard fixture of the genre.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.