peɪnt ðə taʊn rɛd
Colors
informal
intermediate
- Literally:
- to apply red paint to an entire town
What does "paint the town red" mean?
- to go out and have a wild, exciting time
- to celebrate by going out to bars, clubs, or parties
Examples
- It's Friday night — let's paint the town red!
- After graduating, the students went out and painted the town red.
- We don't get to go out often, so tonight we're painting the town red.
Origin
Possibly from an 1837 incident when the Marquis of Waterford and friends allegedly painted buildings red in the English town of Melton Mowbray after a night of heavy drinking.
How to use it
Used when planning or describing a lively night out. Implies drinking and socializing.
Similar expressions
have a blast
live it up
go on the town
party hard
Opposites
stay in
have a quiet night
Related idioms
- black and white
clearly defined with no ambiguity
- silver lining
a positive aspect of an otherwise bad situation
- grey area
a situation or topic that is unclear or not well-defined
- give the green light
to give permission or approval to proceed
- black sheep
a member of a group who is considered different or disreputable
- golden opportunity
an excellent or ideal chance that may not come again
Use it in a practice answer
Try "paint the town red" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.