Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[nawee]

Hello,

Is it better to say "work outside the house" and not "work outside the home"? If so, why doesn't the word "home" work in this case?

Thank you,

Nawee

[Lorikeet]

Actually, I have heard, "work outside the home" and not "work outside the house." "Home" can mean your apartment, your flat, your house, or wherever you live. "House" is more restrictive.

[CP]

I think house is more the building, whereas home is more the place where one lives, as Lorikeet said. Home is where the heart is, as the old adage says. House is where the yard is.

When I go to work, it is my office, and that's outside my home. When I work outside my house, I'm mowing the lawn or trimming the trees.

Because home has more positive connotations than house, advertisers like to use it whenever they can. So a building contractor becomes a home builder, and the realtor shows you homes -- even if they are crummy condos with a view of the parking lot.
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