lady of the house
- noun
- As the lady of the house, she makes important decisions about family meals and chores.
- speak to the lady of the house
- lady of the house at home
Hello lady of the house speaking.
- Hello lady of the house speaking.
- So I thought, I don't want to the lady of the house has come to me and goes, would you like to share a room with, you know, with your, your guardian parent Joe kind of thing.
Examples
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Where's the lady of the house?
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"Good afternoon, this is Mr. Dan, and would this be the lady of the house?"
Fiction book (1994) -
You truly are the lady of the house.
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Are you the lady of the house?
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Is the lady of the house in?
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Meet the new lady of the house, Eleanor Young.
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I'm the lady of the house now.
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From her seat, she watched the small, precise movements of the lady of the house with careful interest.
Fiction book (1991) -
The lady of the house expounded upon the dishes being served.
Fiction book (2001) -
The lady of the house then ordered her butler to take the beggar below and bathe him.
Fiction book (1995)
Synonyms
A married woman who manages her home and cares for her family
A person who manages a home and cares for their family
A person who is in charge of managing a home and family
A woman who leads a household or group
A married woman who manages the home in old times
A wife who runs the household while her husband earns money
A woman who manages a large house and its staff
A woman who leads and cares for her family
How Senior
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally built from 'lady' (woman) + the possessive/associative marker 'of the' + 'house' (home), so a B1 learner who knows those words can infer it refers to the woman associated with or in charge of the household (often the wife). This possessive construction is common across languages, making the relation and meaning readily predictable from the parts.
Etymology
The expression lady of the house may come from the old image of a woman standing at the door or in the main room, welcoming guests and directing the people who run the house. So, the words lady and house point to the woman who is 'in charge' of the home today.