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Paint the town red

Paint the town red

Meaning

Go on a boisterous or exuberant spree

Examples

It’s the last day of term and everyone wants to party. Why don’t we paint the town red?

Where did it originate?

USA, 19th century.

Where is it used?

Worldwide, although considered rather old fashioned language

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About the Author

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
Paint the town red

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