# I Can See My House From Here **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 26, 2010, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-see-my-house-from-here/530456 "2010-02-26T00:07:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jmmapp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jmmapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmmapp)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-see-my-house-from-here/530456/1 "2010-02-26T00:07:50Z")
What is the origin of the phrase “I can see my house from here”? I have found several examples of it in humor, usually when some character is hoisted to a great height, or as Jesus’ last words on the cross. But I can’t find where it originated. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-see-my-house-from-here/530456/2 "2010-02-26T03:02:53Z")
Using Google Books, I can see it in print as far back as 1985. I have little doubt that it’s a line from a stand-up comic, probably somewhere in the 1970s-early 1980s. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-see-my-house-from-here/530456/3 "2010-02-26T03:40:47Z")
I’m sure that people said it and meant it straight when they stood on a height and saw their house. It was probably originated by Egyptians in Giza building the Great Pyramid. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-see-my-house-from-here/530456/4 "2010-02-26T03:42:50Z")
‘Peter…! Peter…!’ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-see-my-house-from-here/530456/5 "2010-02-26T18:54:17Z")
[One of my favorite album covers ever.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Can_See_Your_House_from_Here) ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-see-my-house-from-here/530456/6 "2010-02-26T19:00:46Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > ‘Peter…! Peter…!’ > > 😃 The only one that counts! ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2010, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-see-my-house-from-here/530456/7 "2010-02-27T05:26:24Z")
When I first heard it, it was addressed to the gentleman mentioned above, and it was “I can see _your_ house from here.” And the gentleman’s name is _always_ mentioned twice – as you all have indicated. For some reason it’s just funnier that way. ---
**Author:** ![\_Undecided\_Adrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/eada6e/32.png) [@\_Undecided\_Adrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_Undecided_Adrian)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2010, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-see-my-house-from-here/530456/8 "2010-02-27T11:28:11Z")
**Terry Pratchett, _Jingo_:** One was a little higher than the others. He pulled himself up and found, on its flat top, two huge feet. A statue must have stood here. It probably stood, if Vimes knew anything about statues, in some kind of noble attitude. Now it had gone, and there were just feet, broken off at the ankles. They weren’t exceptionally noble. As he lowered himself again he saw, protected because this side was out of the wind, some lettering carved deeply into the plinth. He tried to make it out in the fading light: ‘AB HOC POSSUM VIDERE DOMUM TUUM’ Well… ’domum tuum’ was ‘your house’, wasn’t it? …and ‘videre’ was ‘I see’… ‘What?’ he said aloud. “’I can see your house from up here?” What kind of a noble sentiment is that?’ ‘I believe it was meant to be a boast and a threat, Sir Samuel,’ said 71–hour Ahmed. ‘Somewhat typical of Ankh-Morpork, I’ve always thought.’ ---
**Author:** ![Deflagration](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ab097/32.png) [@Deflagration](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deflagration)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2010, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-see-my-house-from-here/530456/9 "2010-02-27T15:16:35Z")
Does anyone know how to say it in the original Aramaic? or “Nobody touch my Easter Egg. I’ll be back for it on Sunday…” ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2010, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-see-my-house-from-here/530456/10 "2010-02-27T16:07:44Z")
I had always assumed it was from a movie. A black and white movie from the 50s or earlier. Spoken by a woman right near the end.