House-warming party, in the doghouse, a big household
(Idioms related to "house")

    Recently, I was talking with some students about houses and apartments and I realised that there are lots of expressions and idioms in English based on the word, house. Some of these expressions are very colourful and will help to brighten up your conversation. First, try the two quizzes below and see if you know some of these expressions. Then click on to the link at the end to check your answers and read my comments.

    QUIZ 1 - HOUSE

    How well can you answer these questions?

    1. One of my friends has invited me to a house-warming party. Is he going to burn the house down?

    2. I met another friend this morning. He said, "I came in drunk last night and the wife got annoyed, so now I'm in the doghouse." Is he sleeping in the dog's kennel?

    3. My Aunt Martha is a very house-proud person. Do you think she enjoys having visitors? Are you house-proud?

    4. One of my friends wants to buy a dog. He says that he wants to get a really good housedog. Does that mean he doesn't want a dog that barks too loudly?

    5. My boss and I get on like a house on fire. Do you think we have a good relationship?

    6. In some countries people involved in anti-government activities can be placed under house arrest. Does that mean they go to prison?

    7. We bought 3 bottles of wine and the manager gave us a bottle on the house. Were we happy?

    8. And a special question for Harry Potter fans: How many houses are there in Hogwarts School? What does "house" mean in this context?

    QUIZ 2 - HOUSEHOLD

    How well can you answer these questions? Household means the total number of people living in a particular house. For example, in the Otoko wa tsurai yo movie series there are there are 6 people in Tora-san's house:

    1. the grandmother
    2. the grandfather
    3. Tora's sister, Sakura
    4. Sakura's husband, Hiroshi
    5. their son, Mitsuo
    6. Tora-san himself

    By the way, please understand that household is not the same as family. Family members who live away from home are not part of the household, but non-family members living long-term in the house (servants, homestay guests etc.) are members of the household. Below are a few questions about household. Please try to answer them:

    1. How many people are there in the average Japanese household?
    2. How many people are there in your household?
    3. How many cars are there in your household?
    4. What does "household" mean in this mini-dialogue:
      1. Who's Naoko Takahashi?
      2. You've never heard of Naoko Takahashi! I thought she was a household name in Japan.

    Click here to check your answers and to read my comments about how to use some of these expressions.

    Click here if you want to try some of my other one-point lessons.

    © Robert E. Jones, 2004