clean house
Meaning: To get rid of unwanted people or practices in an organization.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “The new owner cleaned house and replaced the whole management.”
Category: Daily Life
Origin: The household chore used as a figure for reform. The phrase is American, common from the late 19th century in politics.
Equivalents in other languages
- Dutch: schoon schip maken — literally: to make clean ship
More idioms — Daily Life
- kick it up a notch — To increase effort, intensity or excitement.
- under lock and key — Securely locked away.
- the truth will out — The truth cannot stay hidden forever.
- above board — Honest and open, with nothing hidden.
- stake a claim — To declare that something is yours, or that you have a right to it.
- raze to the ground — To destroy a building or town completely.
More English idioms
- take matters into one's own hands — To act oneself because others have failed to.
- fight fire with fire — To respond to an attack with the same methods.
- all in one's head — Imagined rather than real, or a matter of attitude.
- stink to high heaven — To smell terrible; also, to seem very dishonest.
- on a silver platter — Given to someone without any effort on their part.
- dig one's heels in — To refuse stubbornly to change one's mind.