English Idioms and Expressions
Idioms: Fun and Enjoyment-1
from: 'barrel of laughs' to: 'life of Riley'
- barrel of laughs
- Someone who is a barrel of laughs is very funny or entertaining.
"Let's invite Johnny. He's such a barrel of laughs!"
- Someone who is a barrel of laughs is very funny or entertaining.
- 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!"
- If you go somewhere with bells on, you are delighted and eager to go there.
- 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!"
- If something blows away the cobwebs, it makes you feel more lively and refreshes your ideas.
- 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."
- 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.
- in one's element
- When you are in your element, you are doing something that you do well, and you are enjoying yourself.
"My brother, who is an estate agent, was in his element house-hunting for our parents."
- When you are in your element, you are doing something that you do well, and you are enjoying yourself.
- feast your 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."
- If you feast your eyes on something, you are delighted and gratified by what you see.
- 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."
- A person who is footloose and fancy free has few responsibilities or commitments of any kind and feels free to do as they please.
- 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."
- When something, such as an event, gets into full swing, it is at its busiest or liveliest time.
- 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?"
- If you are full of the joys of spring, you are happy, enthusiastic and full of energy.
- get a kick out of something
- If you get a kick out of something, you get great enjoyment
or a feeling of excitement from something.
"Tania is a bit strange - she gets a kick out of listening to other people's phone messages!"
- If you get a kick out of something, you get great enjoyment
or a feeling of excitement from something.
- go out on the town
- When you go out on the town, you have an entertaining or enjoyable time in bars, restaurants,
clubs, etc., usually to celebrate something.
"We’re going out on the town with a group of friends tonight to celebrate the success of our team!"
- When you go out on the town, you have an entertaining or enjoyable time in bars, restaurants,
clubs, etc., usually to celebrate something.
- guilty pleasure
- Enjoying something which is not generally held in high regard, while at the same time feeling a bit guilty about it,
is called a guilty pleasure.
"Reading gossip magazines is a guilty pleasure for many women… and some men too!"
- Enjoying something which is not generally held in high regard, while at the same time feeling a bit guilty about it,
is called a guilty pleasure.
- 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."
- If you are a happy-go-lucky person, you are cheerful and carefree all the time.
- have a ball
- If you have a ball you enjoy yourself immensely.
"The party was great. We had a ball."
- If you have a ball you enjoy yourself immensely.
- have the time of your life
- If you have the time of our life, you enjoy yourself very much.
"The kids had the time of their lives at Disneyland."
- If you have the time of our life, you enjoy yourself very much.
- have a whale of a time
- When people have a whale of a time, they enjoy themselves a lot.
"We had a whale of a time at the party last night."
- When people have a whale of a time, they enjoy themselves a lot.
- keep a straight face
- If you keep a straight face, you manage to maintain a serious or impassive facial expression
and stop yourself from smiling or laughing, even though you are highly amused.
"The child’s explanation was irresistibly funny, but the teacher managed to keep a straight face and listened patiently.”"
- If you keep a straight face, you manage to maintain a serious or impassive facial expression
and stop yourself from smiling or laughing, even though you are highly amused.
- knee-slapper
- A knee-slapper is an extremely funny joke or story, especially one that provokes hearty laughter or hilarity,
and the striking of one’s own knee with the hand.
"Barry told us a real knee-slapper at the office party!"
- A knee-slapper is an extremely funny joke or story, especially one that provokes hearty laughter or hilarity,
and the striking of one’s own knee with the hand.
- 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 in the office now. You can let your hair down!"
- If you suggest that someone should let their hair down, you are telling them to relax and enjoy themselves.
- (the) life and soul of the party
- The life and soul of the party is a sociable person who is the most lively, amusing or entertaining person present at an event or gathering.
"I'm so glad we invited Emily. She was the life and soul of the party."
- The life and soul of the party is a sociable person who is the most lively, amusing or entertaining person present at an event or gathering.
- live it up
- People who live it up engage in an exciting social life,
or do whatever enjoyable things they like, often spending money extravagantly.
"The couple won a lot of money and are now living it up in the Bahamas."
- People who live it up engage in an exciting social life,
or do whatever enjoyable things they like, often spending money extravagantly.
- live the life of Riley
- A person who lives the life of Riley has a comfortable and enjoyable life, without having to make much effort.
"He married a millionaire, and since then he's been living the life of Riley!"
- A person who lives the life of Riley has a comfortable and enjoyable life, without having to make much effort.
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