to come home to roost
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Usually said of a lie, fault, hidden sin, etc., which eventually re- bounds to the discomfiture of its originator.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to come home to roost” mean?
Usually said of a lie, fault, hidden sin, etc., which eventually re- bounds to the discomfiture of its originator.
Is “to come home to roost” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.