What does "grounded to the house" mean?

Status
Not open for further replies.

NewHopeR

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2009
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
China
Current Location
China
If "grounded to" mean "having enough reason to be in", I'm aftraid it should be "(I was not) grounded to the house."
Context:

At the house, the dual punishment of hunger and violent
attacks continued. By this time, for all practical purposes, I was
no longer a member of the family. I existed, but there was little
or no recognition. Mother had even stopped using my name;
referring to me only as The Boy. I was not allowed to eat meals
with the family, play with my brothers, or watch television. I
was grounded to the house. I was not allowed to look at or speak
to anybody. When I returned to the house from school, I
immediately accomplished the various chores Mother assigned
me. When the chores were finished, I went directly to the
basement, where I stood until summoned to clean off the dinner
table and wash the dishes. It was made very clear that getting
 

billmcd

Key Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
"Grounded" is a term, maybe specific to the US, which means that a person, usually a younger person, is not allowed to leave the home. If you break the rules of the home and your parents so decide, you can be grounded - you cannot leave the home except to go to school, to church, or to other places that your parents allow you to go to.

And its origin is as a term used to penalize airmen who broke a rule and were restricted from flying for some period of time.
 

SoothingDave

VIP Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2009
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
I'm supposing the distinction is being made here to the more severe penalty of being grounded to one's own room.
 

Barb_D

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
These days, for "grounding" to be an effective punishment, you have to take away electronics too. Right now, my daughter (who is not grounded, by the way) is in her room, having an extended video chat with her friend while they watch videos together over screen sharing and she listens to her iPod.

(Based on the passages you've given us, this seems like a very disturbing book.)
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top