What does this sentence/idiom/phrase mean?

Question

I saw a sentence in a book:

When George heard that the meal was on the house, he went to thank the restaurant owner for the free food.

The sentence does not make sense to me. I tried Google translating to other languages, but did not work as well.

Is there a specific idiom or phrase that I'm not familiar with?

Can anyone help me with this?

Which part of the sentence is causing you a problem?
– KillingTime
Commented Sep 17, 2020 at 13:23 — KillingTime, Commented Sep 17, 2020 at 13:23
@KillingTime The phrase "the meal was on the house"
– DREADLORD XD
Commented Sep 18, 2020 at 5:03 — DREADLORD XD, Commented Sep 18, 2020 at 5:03

marcellothearcane · Accepted Answer · 2020-09-17 13:23:52Z

1

"On the house" means that you are given something for free, that you would usually pay for.

(of a drink or meal in a bar or restaurant) at the management's expense; free.

You can think of the sentence like this:

When George heard that the meal was ~~on the house~~ given to him for free by the owner, he went to thank the restaurant owner for the free food.

answered Sep 17, 2020 at 13:13

marcellothearcane

7,8416 gold badges38 silver badges56 bronze badges

Add a comment |

1 Answer 1