rough as houses

[smudge_emma]

does anyone know where the saying 'rough as houses' originates from?

[Loosehead]

It's "Safe as Houses". I've never heard of "Rough as Houses". Safe as Houses is referring to property being a solid investment over the medium to long term.

[Quizmonster]

It's possibly Australian in origin, as they have similar phrases such as 'rough as a bag' and 'rough as guts' etc. A bag one can just about understand, if it was one of these jute/hessian coal-sack types, but the roughness of guts and houses are harder to comprehend. There is, of course, the word 'rough-house' meaning a bit of a barney, so there is a precedent for associating the two words.

[Glossopswift]

Could you have misheard? I have often heard (and used) the expression 'rough as ar$eh0les', usually to explain how I felt the morning after. I suppose this could be corrupted to 'rough as ar$es'.

[Glossopswift]

And now I am wondering why we said 'rough as ar$eholes'! I have used it so often and it doesn't make sense. Mine's not rough, it's as smooth as a baby's house.

[Octavius]

I have certainly heard 'as rough as old houses' or 'as rough as old boots' which is generally taken to meaning something quite ugly or which has a face like ...

'a bag of nails'

'the back of a bus'

'abulldog chewing a wasp'

etc etc 

[BloomingL]

I have used this phrase often and always thought it was about the old council/tenement houses where us working class lived (outdoor toilets/bathrooms 'n' all).