bring the house down
Meaning: To be a great success.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “The drummer's solo brought the house down.”
Category: The Absurd
Origin: The expression is almost exclusively used to describe theatrical or musical performances, but it could also be used for any event that would generate applause. It suggests that when an artistic performance is a great success, the audience applauds so noisily as to make the ceiling and walls of the theater collapse.
Equivalents in other languages
- French: Faire un malheur — literally: To make a misfortune
More idioms — The Absurd
- by hook or by crook — By one way or another; by any means possible.
- cast pearls before swine — To offer something to someone who cannot appreciate it.
- clown around — To act silly.
- come off it! — Stop pretending or exaggerating; I don't believe you.
- for crying out loud — An exclamation of exasperation or impatience.
- for goodness' sake — A mild exclamation of annoyance, surprise or urgency.
More English idioms
- give someone the brush-off — To be dismissed casually and almost cruelly.
- give someone a bum steer — To give someone bad advice or wrong directions.
- burn rubber — To accelerate with tires so quickly from a stopped position that the rubber tires make a…
- burn the candle at both ends — To overwork oneself.
- burned out — Lacking enthusiasm due to overexposure or too much of the same thing; completely used up;…
- burning question — A question that deserves or demands discussion.
From our proverbs
- Harm watch, harm catch. — Obsessing over potential dangers often manifests them through anxious behavior and poor j…
- Over haste makes certain waste. — Rushing through tasks carelessly destroys more value than the time saved by hurrying.
- Hasty men never lack woe. — Rushing through decisions creates preventable problems that patient deliberation would ha…