Family & Home Idioms — Idioms
Blood, apples, and black sheep — the family album in idioms. · 10 idioms · Level B1
like father, like son
Meaning: a son is similar to his father in behavior or character
neutral family comments
Example: He fixes everything himself — like father, like son.
A He's stubborn as an ox.
B Like father, like son.
⚠️ Common mistake: The pattern doubles: like mother, like daughter also works. A complete saying, used alone.
the apple doesn't fall far from the tree
Meaning: children resemble their parents
neutral family resemblance comments
Example: She became a surgeon like her mother — the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
A He argues like a lawyer at age nine.
B The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
⚠️ Common mistake: THE apple, THE tree — a child-apple lands near the parent-tree. Affectionate or teasing, tone decides.
blood is thicker than water
Meaning: family bonds are stronger than other relationships
neutral family loyalty
Example: He helped his brother first — blood is thicker than water.
A Friends offered, but family came first.
B Blood is thicker than water, they say.
⚠️ Common mistake: A complete proverb about loyalty priority. Often quoted in family decisions.
home sweet home
Meaning: a happy phrase said when arriving home or about loving your home
neutral arriving home, housewarmings
Example: After three weeks of travel: home sweet home!
A Home sweet home at last.
B Nothing beats your own bed.
⚠️ Common mistake: Home sweet home — said WITH a sigh of happiness. Also written on welcome mats everywhere.
an empty nester
Meaning: a parent whose children have grown and left home
neutral life stages, parenting talk
Example: As empty nesters, they travel every month now.
A The Johnsons are empty nesters now.
B They turned a bedroom into a studio.
⚠️ Common mistake: An empty NESTER — the parent; the empty NEST is the house. Nesters live in nests!
a stay-at-home parent
Meaning: a parent who stays home to care for children instead of working outside
neutral parenting, work discussions
Example: Being a stay-at-home parent is a full-time job.
A She's a stay-at-home parent of three.
B The hardest job in the building, honestly.
⚠️ Common mistake: Hyphens matter in writing: stay-at-home parent. Respectful, neutral term.
run in the family
Meaning: to be common among family members (a trait, talent, or illness)
neutral traits, health, talents
Example: Musical talent runs in the family.
A Red hair runs in the family.
B Three generations of it!
⚠️ Common mistake: Run IN the family — the trait flows through generations: It runs in the family.
the black sheep
Meaning: the family member who is different or considered a disgrace
informal family stories
Example: Every family has a black sheep — ours became a poet.
A He's the black sheep — a jazz musician among bankers.
B And the happiest one, clearly.
⚠️ Common mistake: The black sheep OF the family. Often said with more love than shame today.
a chip off the old block
Meaning: a child who is very much like their parent
informal family resemblance
Example: The boy negotiates like his mother — a chip off the old block.
A He's a chip off the old block.
B Same laugh, same stubborn chin.
⚠️ Common mistake: A chip off the OLD block — the block is the parent-wood; the chip is the child.
follow in someone's footsteps
Meaning: to do the same job or path as an older family member or model
neutral careers, family paths
Example: She followed in her father's footsteps and became a pilot.
A He followed in his mother's footsteps.
B Third-generation teacher now.
⚠️ Common mistake: Follow in SOMEONE'S footsteps — footsteps plural: walking exactly where they walked.
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