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bring down the house
bring down the house
To perform or entertain so successfully as to cause the audience to erupt in applause, laughter, or cheers for a long stretch of time. She is a rising star as a stand-up comedian, always able to bring down the house during each performance.
bring down the house
Also, bring the house down. Evoke tumultuous applause and cheers, as in Her solo brought the house down. This hyperbolic term suggests noise loud enough to pose a threat to the building-an unlikely occurrence. In the late 1800s, British music-hall comedians punned on it: when the audience greeted a joke with silence, they said, "Don't clap so hard; you'll bring down the house (it's a very old house)." [Mid-1700s]
bring down the house
To win overwhelming approval from an audience.