With bells on | If you go somewhere with bells on, you are delighted and eager to go there. "Of course I'll be there - with bells on!" |
Blow away the cobwebs | If something blows away the cobwebs, it makes you feel more lively and refreshes your ideas. "Let's get out of the house. A walk on the beach will blow away the cobwebs!" |
Chill out | When people chill out, often after a period of heavy work or nervous tension, they do something that helps them to calm down and relax for a while. "After a week of exams, the students needed to go and chill out." |
In one's element | When you are in your element, you are doing something that you do well and you are enjoying yourself. "My mother, who loves gardening, is in her element working at the garden centre." |
Feast one's eyes on something | If you feast your eyes on something, you are delighted and gratified by what you see. "As he drove along the coast, he feasted his eyes on the beautiful scenery." |
Footloose and fancy-free | A person who is footloose and fancy-free has few responsibilities or commitments of any kind and feels free to do as they please. "John will never get married. He says he prefers to be footloose and fancy-free." |
In full swing | When something, such as an event, gets into full swing, it is at its busiest or liveliest time. "When we got back to the office, the Christmas party was in full swing." |
Full of the joys of spring | If you are full of the joys of spring, you are happy, enthusiastic and full of energy. "Barbara is full of the joys of spring at the moment! Has she got a new boyfriend?" |
Happy-go-lucky | If you are a happy-go-lucky person, you are cheerful and carefree all the time. "He's a happy-go-lucky sort of guy - always in good humour." |
Have a ball | If you have a ball, you enjoy yourself very much. "The party was great. We had a ball." |
Have the time of your life | If you have the time of your life, you enjoy yourself immensely. "The kids had the time of their lives at Disneyland." |
Have a whale of a time | When people have a whale of a time, they enjoy themselves very much. "We had a whale of a time at the party last night." |
The honeymoon is over | To say that the honeymoon is over means that the initial period of friendship and cooperation between people, groups or organizations has ended. "He was elected only six months ago but the honeymoon is already over." |
Let one's hair down. | If you suggest that someone should let their hair down, you are telling them to relax and enjoy themselves. "Come on! We' re not at work now. You can let your hair down!" |
Life and soul of the party | The life and soul of the party is the most lively and amusing person present at an event. "I'm so glad we invited Caroline. She was the life and soul of the party!" |
Live the life of Riley | If you live the life of Riley, you have a comfortable and enjoyable life, without having to work too hard. "He married a millionaire, and since then he's been living the life of Riley." |
Make a big thing (of something) | If you attach a lot of importance to something, or make it a special occasion, you make a big thing of it. "It's Jack's birthday but he doesn't want to make a big thing of it, so please don't mention it." |
More fun than a barrel of monkeys | If something is very amusing or enjoyable, you can say it is more fun than a barrel of monkeys. "The TV quiz was more fun than a barrel of monkeys." |
Paint the town red | If you paint the town red, you go out and enjoy a lively evening in bars, night-clubs, etc. "To celebrate the victory, the team's supporters painted the town red." |
The party is over | To say that the party is over means that a period of happiness, freedom, enjoyment etc. has come to an end, and life is going to return to normal. "I had a wonderful time here but the party's over and I must get back to work." |
Pull somebody's leg | If you pull somebody's leg, you tease them by telling them something that is not true. "Of course I'm not going to buy a sports car. I was just pulling your leg!" |
Pull the other one (it's got bells on) | After hearing an unlikely story, this expression is used jokingly to tell the speaker that you are not going to believe what they say next. "You have a date with George Clooney? Yeah - now pull the other one!" |
Punch line | The punch line is the funny sentence that ends a joke or an amusing story. "When my dad tells jokes, he never gets the punch line right!" |
Ring out the old year and ring in the new |
This expression means to announce and celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of the next. |
A social butterfly | This term refers to a person who has a lot of friends and acquaintances and likes to flit from one social event to another. "Julie is constantly out and about; she's a real social butterfly." |
Sow one's wild oats | A person, usually a man, who sows their wild oats goes through a period of carefree pleasure-seeking while they are young. "He was advised to sow his wild oats before he got married." |
Take it easy | When you relax, or do things at a comfortable pace, you take it easy. "It's nice to slow down at the week-end and take it easy." |
Tickle the ivories | This is a humorous way of talking about playing the piano. "My grandfather loves playing the piano; he tickles the ivories whenever he gets the chance." |
Wet the baby's head | This expression means to have to drink to celebrate the birth of a baby. "When his first child was born, Tom invited his colleagues to a local bar to wet the baby's head." |
The world is your oyster | This expression means that you are free and able to enjoy the pleasures and opportunities that life has to offer. "She left college feeling that the world was her oyster." |