# Where did this expression come from?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-this-expression-come-from/74418>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 1, 2001, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-this-expression-come-from/74418 "2001-08-01T01:52:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![galen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecc23a/32.png) [@galen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-this-expression-come-from/74418/1 "2001-08-01T01:52:57Z")

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I’ve heard people say “So and so is in the house”. I’ve even seen it in ads. Where does this originate and what does it mean?

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**Author:** ![wooba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/aeb1de/32.png) [@wooba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wooba)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-this-expression-come-from/74418/2 "2001-08-01T02:10:06Z")

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This is purely speculative, but I would guess it came from either House or Hip Hop music…

When House music was first becoming popular in the mid 80’s (I’m talking from a UK perspective) it was very common for songs of house music to use the word house in the title and/or lyrics.

As for hip hop, it seems to me that using a term like that is quite common… it wouldn’t surprise me if it started as saying from urban areas…

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**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-this-expression-come-from/74418/3 "2001-08-01T02:17:15Z")

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WAG: It came (originally) from Elvis concerts… ?

When Elvis finished singing, they would announce “Elvis has left the building!” So that his fans would put their panties back on and go home.

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**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-this-expression-come-from/74418/4 "2001-08-01T02:18:35Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Astroboy14 \*  
> \*\*WAG: It came (originally) from Elvis concerts… ?
> 
> When Elvis finished singing, they would announce “Elvis has left the building!” So that his fans would put their panties back on and go home. \*\*

_I hit submit instead of preview…_

And then rap artists sort of turned it around in the '80s…