part of the furniture

part of the furniture

Considered to be an intrinsic or fundamental part of the surroundings because one has been in a particular job or place for a long time. I can't envision the company without Bill. I mean, the man has been here for 40 years—he's part of the furniture! Ah, that's just Mary. She's been coming to this restaurant nearly every day for years, so we kind of see her as part of the furniture at this point.
See also: furniture, of, part
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

part of the furniture

If someone or something is part of the furniture, they have been present somewhere for such a long time that everyone accepts their presence without questioning it or noticing them. In ten years he has become part of the furniture of English life, his place on the stage firmly fixed and universally respected. Once cameras in courts have become part of the furniture, witnesses are so absorbed in answering questions that they forget the cameras are there.
See also: furniture, of, part
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

part of the furniture

a person or thing that has been somewhere so long as to seem a permanent, unquestioned, or invisible feature of the scene. informal
See also: furniture, of, part
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

part of the ˈfurniture

(informal) somebody who has worked or been in a particular place for such a long time that people hardly notice them: The librarian had been there so long he seemed like part of the furniture.
See also: furniture, of, part
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • be part of the furniture
  • furniture
  • be in (one's) DNA
  • figure (someone) as (something)
  • figure as
  • fancy (someone or oneself) as (something)
  • fancy as
  • envision
  • envision (someone or something) as (someone or something else)
  • imagine as
References in classic literature
By the door stood a huge table that had once been a part of the furniture of Herrick's Clothing Store and that had been used for displaying custom-made clothes.
Winesberg Ohio
A snug chimney corner with two seats, and a small carpet on the hearth, an old flint gun and a pair of spurs over the fireplace, a dresser with shelves on which some bright pewter plates and crockeryware were arranged, an old walnut table, a few chairs and settles, some framed samplers, and an old print or two, and a bookcase with some dozen volumes on the walls, a rack with flitches of bacon, and other stores fastened to the ceiling, and you have the best part of the furniture. No sign of occult art is to be seen, unless the bundles of dried herbs hanging to the rack and in the ingle and the row of labelled phials on one of the shelves betoken it.
Tom Browns Schooldays
"On Love Island she is part of the furniture - the show wouldn't be the same without her." Caroline, 39, also fronts spin-off programme Aftersun.
PS1.2M PAY FLACK-ET
SEAN DYCHE never expected to become part of the furniture when he was appointed Burnley manager.
300 NOT OUT SHOCKS SEAN
THE new Sense Premium Wi6160 wine cabinet by Caple can be made to look like part of the furniture. This model can hold 44 bottles of wine and features charcoal filters, which purify the air.
New for the home
The furniture has been accepted as part of the Furniture Re-Use Project, a scheme which will seek to take unwanted furniture from the University (and elsewhere) at a cost less than the price of disposal.
Furniture boost for Exaireo Trust
A FABERGE flower valued at PS1 million on Antiques Roadshow despite being treated as "part of the furniture" features in the next instalment of the BBC One show.
Fab Faberge on Roadshow
A true part of the furniture, for oh so many years.
POEM OF THE DAY
I'm nearly part of the furniture now," said the retired ICI Billingham foreman, pictured celebrating with barmaids Helen Kilpatrick, left, and Andrea Puttick.
Cheers to 50 years of being pub regular; years ago 30
He's been a huge factor in a very successful Leeds side and has become very much part of the furniture, I would have thought.
Surprised that Danny will go
KYLE JACOBS and big brother Keaghan are part of the furniture at Livingston - and say victory on Sunday would mean so much.
Jacobs duo out to find a silver lining
TODAY'S focus is on a graduate of the old school, Gail Harrison, who joined us from the late, great Fulke Walwyn in 1984 and has been very much part of the furniture at Pond House ever since.
MEET THE TEAM
Rossi becomes "part of the furniture" at Times HQ as journos mull the value of Twitter, whether to publish WikiLeaks docs, and how best to cover the demise of newspapers.
Page One: Inside the New York Times
"It feels like I am part of the furniture here," he said.
SWP desperate to stay at City; football ROUND-UP