This idiom describes someone who consumes an excessive amount of food or resources, depleting a household’s supplies. It suggests a voracious appetite or financial burden, often used hyperbolically to describe guests, teenagers, or dependents. The phrase is applied in familial or social contexts, typically with a humorous or exasperated tone, reflecting the strain of supporting heavy consumption. It underscores cultural values of hospitality while highlighting the challenges of abundance or dependency.

The phrase originates from William Shakespeare’s *Henry IV, Part 2* (1598), where Mistress Quickly complains that Falstaff ‘hath eaten me out of house and home.’ It reflects Elizabethan concerns with household management and gluttony, drawing on the literal idea of consuming a home’s provisions. By the 17th century, it was a common proverb, as seen in John Ray’s 1678 *English Proverbs*. Its use grew in the 19th century, particularly in British and American literature, with Charles Dickens using it in *Great Expectations* (1861). The phrase’s dramatic imagery and relevance to domestic life ensured its spread, especially in contexts of economic strain or large families.