shout it from the rooftops
Meaning: To tell everyone about something, openly and loudly.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “When she got into medical school, she wanted to shout it from the rooftops.”
Category: Daily Life
Origin: Adapted from the Gospel of Luke (12:3), where what is whispered in private rooms "shall be proclaimed upon the housetops." Flat roofs served as living space in the ancient Near East, the natural place to make news heard.
Equivalents in other languages
- French: crier sur les toits — literally: to shout on the roofs
More idioms — Daily Life
- be in the thick of it — To be in the busiest or most intense part of an activity.
- take French leave — To leave without saying goodbye or asking permission.
- dress to the nines — To dress very smartly or elaborately.
- have friends in high places — To know influential people who can help one.
- get to the bottom of it — To discover the real cause or truth of a matter.
- be taken for a ride — To be cheated or deceived.
More English idioms
- have itchy feet — To feel a restless urge to travel or move on.
- wait on someone hand and foot — To do everything for someone, attending to their every need.
- bare one's teeth — To show hostility and a readiness to fight.
- one's eyes are bigger than one's stomach — To take more food than one can eat; more broadly, to want more than one can handle.
- have a memory like an elephant — To remember things, especially slights, for a very long time.
- have a sharp tongue — To speak in a harsh, cutting way.
From our proverbs
- Good measure is a merry mean. — Moderation in quantity—whether food, drink, or spending—brings contentment without excess…
- With what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again. — Treat others as you wish to be treated; your actions return to you in equal measure.
- He measures your corn by his bushel. — People judge others' actions using their own standards as the measure, not objective trut…