raise the roof

raise the roof idiom
  1. Be extremely noisy and boisterous, as in They'd had a lot to drink and were really raising the roof last night.
  2. Complain loudly and angrily, as in When the landlord increased the rent, the tenants raised the roof about his lack of repairs and maintenance. Both usages convey the image of the roof being lifted because it cannot contain either noise or rage. [Slang; mid-1800s] Also see hit the ceiling.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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