bring the house down—(of a performance) produce loud and prolonged applause; be received very successfully:
- There was one scene which never failed to bring the house down.
Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase shout the house down—(coll.) make a terrible commotion:
- I can’t study while my little brother is shouting the house down.
pull the house down—destroy or demolish a building or structure:
- The lessor was desirous of pulling the house down and building a new one.