house of cards
12
5.1
- idiom
- /haʊs əv kɑrdz/
- Informal
:
casa de naipes
- Many believed the project was a strong initiative, but it was really a house of cards waiting to collapse.
- house of cards collapsed
But eventually the House of Cards always comes down.
- But eventually the House of Cards always comes down.
- But if you think this is a House of Cards, it's not.
- To knock down this House of Cards from the ground up.
- But The thing is, it's, it's a little bit of a House of Cards because it relies on fear.
- FDX's balance sheet was allegedly just a House of Cards and now it's all come crashing down.
- It's all been a House of Cards.
- And they just all fell down like a like a House of Cards.
- But if that woman is sick now, it's a House of Cards.
- Because this is when the whole House of Cards comes crashing down in the comments, Kim.
- After all, Tesla stock is falling like a big House of Cards.
- And it felt like they'd just been snatched away, just came crumbling down like a House of Cards.
- Now, to your point of it may just take a few big victories before this, you know, whole House of Cards starts to come tumbling down.
- It, it, it makes no sense to me when this House of Cards has fallen, it's already fallen.
- Is there some elements of politics and maybe the private sector that are captured by the by a House of Cards?
Examples
-
Eventually someone will blink or sneeze, and the whole house of cards will come down.
Blog text (27) -
Suddenly, nobody wanted to lend to David's company, and the house of cards started to crumble.
Blog text (30) -
But eventually the House of Cards always comes down.
-
But if you think this is a House of Cards, it's not.
-
We all knew the economy was a house of cards.
Academic text (2009) -
As it turned out, each case was about as solid as a house of cards.
Blog text (17) -
I don't believe we're there, but I do believe the financial house of cards will fall.
Blog text (17) -
Yet he seemed as surprised as anyone when the house of cards began collapsing.
Academic text (2005) -
Globalization is largely responsible for the house of cards scenario we currently find ourselves in.
Blog text (23) -
There was no ability to withstand even slight adversity, and of course the house of cards came tumbling down.
Blog text (24)
Synonyms
10
4.8
A project or organization that is failing and likely to collapse
4
4.3
A situation very likely to cause serious trouble
Antonyms
How Fragile
Surface Forms
Morphology
house + of + cards
The phrase literally describes a 'house' made from 'cards' with the preposition 'of' signalling composition, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can derive the meaning of a fragile structure built from playing cards. This compositional pattern (X of Y = made from Y) is common across languages, making the expression immediately comprehensible; any extended metaphorical sense (i.e. a precarious situation) follows naturally from the literal image.
Etymology
House of cards comes from the toy of building a small house out of cards. Those card houses look strong but fall with the smallest touch, so the phrase means a plan or situation that seems solid but is 'likely to fail suddenly'.