What Does “as safe as houses” mean?
Definition:
If something is as safe as houses, it is very secure.
What is the origin of the idiom?
This simile alludes to the secure investment in housing as opposed to the risky railway shares of the Victorian Age. The phrase is mainly heard in the United Kingdom and Australia.
Buying a house is purchasing a solid asset that is safe. Real estate investment can be both satisfying and lucrative. Moreover, there is a very strong belief that owning one’s own home is better than renting it. This also explains the expression “an Englishman’s home is his castle”.
Alternatively, the phrase “as safe as houses” may refer to the protection of living in a house. A house protects people from criminals as well as from natural catastrophes such as rain and wild animals.
One of the earliest uses of the phrase is found in a popular Victorian novel by James Hannay, Eustace Conyers, first published in 1855. The protagonist intends to follow his grandfather’s occupation and join her Majesty’s Navy:
“My dear Helen,” the Captain said, “pardon me if I say that I scarcely recognize here your usual firmness. Her Majesty’s ships and vessels of war are nowadays as safe as houses.
Example(s)
Once he is with his father, he feels as safe as houses.
He assured her that the place was as safe as houses.
It’s as safe as houses in here honey!
