Taking the phrase "make yourself at home" too literally.

The phrase "make yourself at home" is actually a figurative kind of speech which means "to make yourself comfortable". I also often get annoyed with kinds of people like this and always hope that they’d leave very soon whenever they come to our place. That's a gesture of disrespect to the hospitality of the owner.

in my country, going through your host's stuff (even the host says so) is somewhat rude and unethical. sure they offered something. but that's just because the gesture makes them feel they make you comfortable. but if you as a visitor has enough sense and courtesy, you would give in slightly, if not totally pass, even if you really wanted to. hoever, foreign movies show that visitors are free to roam through the hosts belongings. i don't know if this is for real, or just a case of hollywood.

I agree! We hosted a party at our home recently and guests were just down right rude! One guest was seen going through our medicine cabinet and another was opening drawers in the bathroom. I feel that if a guest is in need of something they should ask the hostess and let the hostess get the item for them rather than to go through their drawers and cabinets!

Yes i think that too, sometimes people take words way to litterally and for more than what they are. Telling someone to make themselves at home doesn't give them the right to go through your belongings, I agree that's rude. I wouldn't let myself into someone else's house like that and i wouldn't like anyone to come into my house and go through my things like it is their own. I like to show respect to the householder when i am visiting and i expect no less in my home or you can get out.

When me and my boyfriend start to date the first time he came at my home and took a shower he watered the whole bath! In his home he doesn't have shower curtain so he doesn't use mine. I told him but he doesn't even apologise. The next time the same thing so i started a big fight and he never repeat! So i know what you mean! No matter what you have to respect your hosts ant their property.

hi:) Yes when we have visitors too we tell them to feel at home but it's just mean that we want them to feel at ease and not to be shy to ask things or request something, but not giving them the authority to mess with our stuff or enter to the place in our house that's private unless we invite them there. well if the visitors do that and start messing with your things, it's just saying that they don't know how to respect the house owners, and that's rude.

hi megamatt. sounds like you've had first hand experience about this one. care to share the cliff notes? agree with you about this one. will post my thoughts at a later time as i'm in a bit of a hurry now. cheers!!!

I do agree that it is rude to go through your host's things, even if the host has said that they can make themselves at home. You can make yourself at home, but within reason. There is a limit as to what you can do, even with this invitation.

I agree with you that make yourself comfortable does not mean for a guest to literally lie down in my bed without my knowledge and or rummage through my drawers either, lol There are those that actually take the phrase on the literal sense but for me when I am told to make myself a home, simply means not to be shy and have a seat.

yeah I'd say thats obvious rules of being polite when people are gracious enough to open up their home to you. is this family? It still isn't good either way if they are messing through all your stuff but I would see why they would feel more entitled to rather than say a friend, because their family. I wouldn't feel comfortable having people over in the first place because its outside of my comfort zone, which can be small lol, but if they were going through droors and looking through personal stuff that would just be insane. I feel for you, how long are they staying? Maybe you should politely tell them that your not comfortable with them rummaging through your things. maybe they'll be understanding.