Meaning
What does Raise the Roof mean?
Raise the roof is a popular slang expression, that has been around in English for centuries, encouraging people to start making a lot of noise and destroy the house in the ruckus they are about to unleash.
It is the call to arms of party people.
Alternatively, the phrase may be used figuratively for complaining.
Origin
What's the origin of Raise the Roof?
The exact origin of “raise the roof” is unknown, however it would appear in various sources as early as the 1780’s.
It gained a larger audience in the southern states of the US in the middle of the 1800’s.
Spread & Usage
How did Raise the Roof spread?
Over the years, the significance of “raise the roof” didn’t drop, as it was used by people wishing to disintegrate houses by the power of sound consistently throughout the 1900’s and the 2000’s.
“Raise the roof” also refers to a popular dance move of lifting one’s hands above their head repeatedly.
The first entry on the topic first appeared on Urban Dictionary in 2002.
External resources
- Dictionary.com – Raise the roof