part of the furniture
- idiom
- UK
:
parte del mobiliario
- I'm practically part of the furniture.
Examples
-
I am part of the furniture.
-
She has been in this team for so long that she's considered part of the furniture.
-
After working here for many years, I feel like I'm part of the furniture.
-
To the new employees, he seems like part of the furniture due to his long tenure.
Synonyms
47
3.6
A thing attached to a building that stays there, like a light or sink
How Established
482
3.9
- UK
47
3.6
111
2.8
123
1.6
∞
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase literally combines 'part' + 'of' + 'the' + 'furniture', so a learner who knows the words can infer a metaphorical comparison — that someone is like furniture: permanent, stationary, and unremarkable. Because this is a figurative extension rather than a literal composition and the precise nuance ('a familiar and unremarkable member of a place or organization') isn't fully predictable from the parts alone, it should be classed as semi-transparent.
Etymology
Part of the furniture may come from the idea of someone who has been in a place so long they are like furniture in the room—always there and not noticed. That's why it now means 'a familiar, ordinary person or thing'.