glass house
1
6.5
- noun
- /ɡlæs haʊs/
- Informal
:
casa de cristal
- Jill Kelley should have emerged from this scandal as the "hero," but something does not feel "good" or "right" about her... maybe something about unclean hands or glass houses.
- live in glass house
Examples
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As the old saying goes, people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
Blog text (5) -
I've always, you know, heard is he who people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
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Who will cast the first stone from their glass house?
Blog text (5) -
You are living in a glass house and need to quit throwing stones.
Blog text (5) -
I said, well, people that live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, should they?
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Perhaps I should not throw stones as I live in a glass house of my own making, but there is a vacuous absence of integrity, honesty, sincerity, principled morality—all that—within our society.
Blog text (5) -
People who live in glass houses should not throw stones, as they are just as vulnerable to criticism.
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It's wise to remember that those in glass houses often face scrutiny for their own imperfections.
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If you criticize others while living in a glass house, you may end up attracting criticism yourself.
Synonyms
1
7.4
A small weakness in a person, group, or system that others can use
How Vulnerable
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal constituents 'glass' (fragile/transparent) + 'house' (dwelling) evoke a metaphor of fragility and visibility, so an informed learner may infer vulnerability; however the specific sense 'vulnerable to criticism because of your own faults' is a figurative, culturally framed reading that is not fully predictable from the words alone. Because the metaphor provides a useful clue but requires pragmatic/idiomatic knowledge (and is expressed in many languages but not universally), this is best judged semi-transparent.
Etymology
The noun glass house comes from the picture of a house made of glass where everyone can look inside; if your mistakes are visible, others can easily judge or criticise you, so the phrase means 'vulnerable to criticism'.