English Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions
Fun and Enjoyment
(page 1 : barrel of laughs → 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! |
| 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 brother, who is an estate agent, was in his element house-hunting for our parents. |
| feast your eyes on | 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? |
| 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! |
| 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
immensely. The party was great. We had a ball. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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! |
| 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 Emily. She was the life and soul of the party. |
| 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! |
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