The Village Idiom

out of house and home

The idiom "out of house and home" means to be completely destitute, having lost everything one possesses, especially due to financial hardships or being forced to leave one's home.

Filed under O

In a sentence

  • After the fire, the family was left homeless and had lost all their belongings. They were literally out of house and home.
  • When my teenage son moved back in after dropping out of college, he ate all the food, slept all day, and didn't contribute to any household expenses. He was driving us out of house and home.
  • The greedy landlord raised the rent so high that many tenants were forced to move out. He was known for kicking people out of house and home just to make more money.

Where it comes from and how it is used

The idiom "out of house and home" is often used figuratively and is not meant to be taken literally. It suggests that someone has been completely stripped of their material possessions and left with nothing, not even a place to live. It is a metaphorical expression that emphasizes the severity of one's loss.

This idiom can be used in various contexts. For example, it can be used to describe someone who has been evicted from their home or someone who has lost everything due to a financial crisis. It can also be used more metaphorically to describe someone who is being taken advantage of or exploited excessively, causing them to lose what they hold dear.

When someone is "out of house and home," it means they no longer have a place to live. They have been forced to leave their home or have been evicted from their residence. This could be due to financial difficulties, a natural disaster, or other unforeseen circumstances. When faced with this situation, individuals may have no choice but to find temporary shelter, such as staying with friends or family, or even becoming homeless.

A similar phrase to consider is "leave home." When someone "leaves home," they are voluntarily or involuntarily leaving their place of residence. This can occur for various reasons, such as moving out for the first time, going off to college, or being forced to leave due to personal or family circumstances. In the context of being "out of house and home," someone who has "left home" may be experiencing a sense of displacement and uncertainty, unsure of where they will end up or if they will ever be able to return to a stable living situation.

The idiom "out of house and home" expresses the idea of being completely deprived of one's possessions or having all of one's resources drained. It can be used to describe someone who has been evicted from their home, lost everything due to a financial crisis, or is being taken advantage of and has lost what they hold dear. When faced with this situation, individuals may "go out" and actively seek a new home, "leave home" and experience a sense of displacement, or "move out" when relocating to a different living arrangement. Ultimately, being "out of house and home" can leave someone "on the street" without a place to live, highlighting the severity of their loss and the challenges they may face.

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