What is the recurring diagnostic phrase associated with House M.D.?

“Everybody lies” is the recurring diagnostic phrase associated with House M.D.

Gregory House uses the phrase to express his belief that patients routinely conceal facts, misunderstand their symptoms, or present information in misleading ways. In the show's diagnostic structure, the team must therefore test evidence rather than accept every statement at face value.

The line appears in different forms throughout the series and captures one of House's defining attitudes: he trusts observable evidence more than social conventions. It also reinforces the series' theme that medical diagnosis resembles detective work.

The phrase is not the show's official title or its finale title. The pilot episode establishes it as a key House principle, while the finale is titled “Everybody Dies.” These similar constructions are a common source of confusion.