![]() ![]() something that is wasteful of time or energy dishonest or evil behavior : the causing of someone else to do wrong (as by bribery) of or relating to an expression in the usage of a language that is peculiar to itself either in having a meaning that cannot be derived from the conjoined meanings of its elements (such as up in the air for "undecided") or in its grammatically atypical use of words (such as give way)Ĭorruption – n. Tidy up – phrasal verb to put in order : to clean up a mess ![]() ![]() That’s all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories.Īnna Matteo wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. And cleaning house is to get rid of anything that is not working or is creating a mess – either literally or figuratively.Īs for usage, both of these expressions can be used in formal and informal situations. Housekeeping issues are the day-to-day, ongoing tasks and responsibilities that keep a business, home, or organization running smoothly. It could also be tasks like keeping your computer up and running or updating staff on events or policy changes. So, housekeeping issues for a business could be managing and scheduling resources. Housekeeping also describes any repeated tasks that keep a business or organization running smoothly. Used as a noun, housekeeping is also the department at a hotel in charge of keeping your room clean and stocked with necessary items like towels and soap. It can also mean to organize your finances and other responsibilities, especially when preparing for a life-changing event. When we put our house in order we make sure it is running smoothly. Sometimes we call this putting our house in order. Cleaning, organizing, paying the bills, and keeping food stocked can all be called housekeeping. Housekeeping defines the act of managing a household. Marie Kondo is the author of the best-selling book, "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" (Photo Credit: Natsuno Ichigo) But this usage is not as common as getting rid of ineffectual, troublesome or wasteful elements in a group. For example, the bully threatened to clean house on anyone who disagreed with him. If you research the expression online, you may find another meaning for “cleaning house” – to punish or to give a beating. And that meant hiring a new financial manager – one that wouldn’t steal from them. To help their company succeed, the business partners needed to clean their financial house. Sometimes we put words in between “clean” and “house” to make the expression more specific, as in this example: The city official in charge of education reform made cleaning house on corruption and waste the first item on his to-do list. When we use it this way, we are often talking about a political party or a governmental office. If the owner wants the company to succeed, she may need to clean house and fire anyone not contributing.Ĭleaning house can also mean to wipe out corruption or inefficiency. My friend has a company that is suffering from troublemaking and non-productive employees. When an organization, business or other group clean house, it gets rid of people or policies that make trouble or that do not work. We use both of these terms in idiomatic ways.įirst, let’s talk about cleaning house. That is often called housekeeping or cleaning house. So, on today’s program we are going to clean house, too!ĭaily cleaning tasks like doing the laundry or dishes are not considered spring cleaning. Spring cleaning is a thorough cleaning inside and out. Spring cleaning usually involves big projects, such as taking down and washing curtains, shaking out rugs and cleaning carpets, perhaps clearing out and cleaning up cabinets and closets. It is a chance to get rid of unnecessary items and get their homes clean and organized. Spring cleaning is a popular activity for many people. They straighten up messy areas of their homes. Spring is a time of the year when many people take time to clean. And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English. ![]()
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