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On the house

Idiomatic Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

On the house|Idiomatic Phrase|Provided free of charge by the establishment or host; indicates that the cost is covered by the provider rather than the customer or guest.

Detailed Definition
On the house means provided free of charge by an establishment, host, or giver. In poetry, the idiom can suggest hospitality, generosity, temptation, class relation, or a small public kindness. Its association with pubs, cafés, and social spaces makes it useful in conversational or urban poems. A poet might use it warmly when a gift eases loneliness, or ironically when “free” pleasure carries hidden emotional cost. The phrase invites attention to exchange, gratitude, and the economics of kindness.
Example
Example in poetry:
A tavern ballad might have the landlord cry, this round is on the house, when the sailors return; In comic verse, the inn gives soup on the house to a poet with no coins; The phrase means free of charge, paid for by the establishment; A poet can use it for hospitality or surprise generosity.
Additional Notes
On the house means free of charge, usually offered by an establishment such as a pub, café, or inn. In poetry, it can suggest hospitality, generosity, celebration, bribery, seduction, or temporary community. The phrase brings social space into the poem: counter, glass, landlord, guest, and house rules. Students should ask whether the free gift is truly generous or creates subtle obligation.
Also Known As
free
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