You Can't Go Home Again. And Other 'Home' Expressions.

You Can't Go Home Again. And Other 'Home' Expressions.

Now, the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories.

On this program we explore the origins and uses of common words and expressions in American English.

Today we talk about a word that is a feeling as well as a place. That word is “home.”

Long ago in the 1700s, “home” was used as a verb, meaning “to be guided to a destination.” So, when you home in on something you get closer to your target. For example, you could say, “Police are homing in on the suspects."

That is also where we get homing pigeons -- pigeons that can find their way home after being released.

But today, “home” is more often used as a noun. And it has a very emotional connection for American English speakers. You can remember the meaning of the word by the expression “home is where the heart is.”

That expression means home is anywhere you feel love and comfort. It is a place where you belong, and often a place you consider your origin.

You can also simply the carry of feeling of home with you -- that is, a feeling of love and loyalty¹ to your family and places that are dear to you.

In other words, “home” is not simply a building where you live -- that’s a house. There is a big difference between a house and a home. Writer Lord Byron expressed this thought in his long poem Don Juan.

Simply said, a house is not a home.

Another writer, Thomas Wolfe, had a different idea about home. In 1940, his book “You Can’t Go Home Again” was published. This title has worked its way into the English language. We use it to mean that the ideas and feelings you had as a child often change when you are an adult. So, even if you return to the place where you grew up, time and distance have changed your perspective. You may not be able to re-create even your closest relationships.

Rock-n-roll singer Jon Bon Jovi does not agree with this expression. In this song he and Jennifer Nettles² sing “Who Says You Can’t Go Home.” What they mean is yes, they can go back to a childhood home and be perfectly³ happy. This is especially true if you've become successful and have made a lot of money.

Some people find that returning to a childhood place brings only joy and delight. When these people return to their childhood homes, they may say "Home Sweet Home!"

Of course, you can say this anywhere. A single woman living alone in her first apartment may come home after a tough day at work and sigh, “Ah, home sweet home!” If she loves her apartment she might also say: “There’s no place like home.”

There’s no place like home is a famous line repeated over and over by the character of Dorothy in the classic American film “The Wizard of Oz.”

She learns that she did not need to leave her home in order to find what she was seeking. Dorothy’s adventures ended right back in Kansas, where she was from.

But what about those people who must stay away from their homes for a long time? They still want to feel connected to a place they can depend on.

Hotels know this about travelers. Many advertise that they will be a home away from home. This expression describes a place where everything is familiar and comfortable.

Friends can also give you a home away from home. When you visit them, they may say to you: “Make yourself at home!”

This common expression means someone wants you to feel relaxed and welcome.

However, let’s say you make yourself too at home. You eat everything in the refrigerator! Your friend then may say, “I’m happy to have you stay, but please don’t eat me out of house and home!”

Sometimes, when we travel for a long time -- especially if we are in a strange place -- we can begin to feel sad. We miss our friends, family and usual environment so much that we become homesick.

Some people become so unsettled when they are away from home that they quit leaving the house altogether. They become homebodies. A homebody usually prefers to do things quietly around the house -- such as cook or knit⁴ or sit by the fire reading a book. For a homebody, going out night after night or visiting a busy city for a long period of time would be a nightmare⁵.

But you don’t have to be a homebody to relax and enjoy a peaceful moment -- no matter where you are. For example, let’s say you have been working on a stressful assignment for a year. Now, the work is almost done. You can say you are in the home stretch.

This expression comes from horse racing⁶. Horses in the home stretch are near the finish line. So, if you are in the home stretch of a very long project, you are almost finished.

In fact, we are in the home stretch of this episode⁷ of Words and Their Stories. We are at the last paragraph. So, we bring us on home with another song about home. That is something musicians say when they are finishing a performance.

Words in This Story

comfort – n. contented⁸ well-being⁹

origin – n. the place, social situation or type of family that a person comes from

solitude¹⁰ – n. a state or situation in which you are alone usually because you want to be

perspective – n. a mental view or prospect¹¹; point of view

delight – n. a high degree of gratification

familiar – adj. being free and easy; marked by informality

comfortable – adj. free from stress or tension

relaxed – adj. being at rest or at ease; easy of manner; informal

nightmare – n. something (as an experience, situation or object) having the monstrous character of a nightmare or producing a feeling of anxiety or terror

1 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

2 nettles   

n.荨麻( nettle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I tingle where I sat in the nettles. 我坐过在荨麻上的那个部位觉得刺痛。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This bleak place overgrown with nettles was the churchyard. 那蔓草丛生的凄凉地方是教堂公墓。 来自辞典例句

3 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

4 knit   

vt.编织，密接，结合，皱眉；vi.编织，变得紧凑，愈合；n.编织

参考例句：

• She could knit up a baby's coat in an afternoon.她能在一个下午织好一件婴儿的衣服。
• Our letters enabled us to knit up our old friendship.通信使我们恢复了旧日的友谊。

5 nightmare   

n.恶梦，可怕的事物，无法摆脱的恐惧

参考例句：

• I was glad to awake from such a nightmare.我庆幸终于从噩梦中醒来了。
• I had a nightmare last nightand,lost sleep.昨夜我作了个恶梦，失眠了。

6 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

7 episode   

n.（作品的一段）情节，插曲，系列事件中之一

参考例句：

• The episode was a huge embarrassment for all concerned.这段小插曲令所有有关人员都感到非常尴尬。
• This episode remains sharply engraved on my mind.这段经历至今仍深深地铭刻在我的心中。

8 contented   

adj.满意的，安心的，知足的

参考例句：

• He won't be contented until he's upset everyone in the office.不把办公室里的每个人弄得心烦意乱他就不会满足。
• The people are making a good living and are contented,each in his station.人民安居乐业。

9 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

10 solitude   

n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方

参考例句：

• People need a chance to reflect on spiritual matters in solitude. 人们需要独处的机会来反思精神上的事情。
• They searched for a place where they could live in solitude. 他们寻找一个可以过隐居生活的地方。

11 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。