On the house means free because the bar, café or restaurant itself is paying. Waiters or owners say it when they give a drink or dessert to a regular, to celebrate an occasion or to apologise for a wait. House here isn't a home but the business itself.
When would you say on the house?
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be + on the house; drinks/dessert + on the house; This one's on the house
- The waiter brought us two coffees and said they were on the house.
- Because our food took an hour, the manager said dessert was on the house.
- It's your birthday, so the first drink is on the house.
What changed
First versionMy friend paid for dinner, so it was on the house.
RevisionMy friend paid for dinner, so it was on him.
On the house is only used when a bar, café or restaurant is treating you. When a friend pays, it's not the business treating you but your friend, so the house is replaced with him: it was on him. The same works for yourself: Dinner's on me.
For free simply means without paying, anywhere: I got these tickets for free. On the house means free from the business, as a gift to a customer: The first round is on the house. Nobody says on the house about free museum entry or a present from a friend.
Your turn
We waited an hour for our food, so to make up for it the manager brought us dessert and said it was ___.
Show the answer
on the house — The manager apologises for the wait and gives a dessert from the restaurant, which is on the house. On the bill means it's added to what you pay, so you'd have to pay after all.
Describe a visit to a café or restaurant where you were given something for free. Say what it was and why.
At our local café the owner brought us two pieces of cake on the house because it was my sister's birthday.
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