big house

big house

A man was sent to the big house for his crimes.

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • Prison (slang, American English): "big house" is an informal term for a prison, especially a large state or federal penitentiary.
    • A large residence: In literal usage, "big house" can simply refer to a large, impressive house, often the main house on a large property or estate.
Usage Examples

  • Prison (slang):

    • After the robbery, he was sent to the big house for ten years. (He was imprisoned in a large penitentiary.)
    • The gangster feared ending up in the big house. (He feared being sent to prison.)

  • Literal (large residence):

    • The family lived in the big house on the hill. (They resided in a large, prominent home.)
    • The big house was surrounded by acres of farmland. (The main residence on the property was large.)
Advanced Usage

  • "to go to the big house": to be sent to prison.

    • If you get caught, you'll go to the big house. (You will be incarcerated.)

  • "the big house" as a proper noun: In some contexts, it may refer to a specific famous prison, such as San Quentin or Sing Sing.

    • He spent his youth in the big house in California. (He was imprisoned at a well-known penitentiary.)
Variants and Related Words

  • Big-house (adj): relating to or characteristic of prison life.

    • He had a big-house mentality after years of incarceration. (His thinking was shaped by prison experiences.)

  • Big house (compound noun): As a single term, it is often written without a hyphen but treated as a fixed phrase.

Synonyms
  • Penitentiary: a large prison for serious offenders.
  • Prison: a facility where people are confined as punishment for crimes.
  • Jail: a local facility for short-term detention (less formal than "big house").
  • Pen: slang for penitentiary.
Phrasal Verbs
  • Do time in the big house: to serve a prison sentence.
    • He did five years in the big house for fraud. (He served a five-year prison term.)
Related Idioms

  • In the big house: imprisoned.

    • He's been in the big house since his conviction. (He is currently serving a prison sentence.)

  • The big house calls: a phrase meaning the temptation or necessity of going to prison (often used humorously or grimly).

    • If he keeps stealing, the big house calls. (He will eventually end up in prison.)