paint the town red
To party or celebrate in a rowdy, wild manner, especially in a public place.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“We are going out to paint the town red tonight.”
“They always paint the town red on their wedding anniversary.”
“You should paint the town red to forget your worries for one night.”
“After finishing their final exams, the students decided to paint the town red to celebrate their freedom.”
“My cousins are visiting from abroad, so we plan to paint the town red by visiting every club in the city center.”
“To celebrate his big promotion, he invited all his colleagues to paint the town red at the new luxury lounge downtown.”
“Having worked tirelessly for months, the team finally felt they had earned the right to paint the town red in honor of their successful project launch.”
first recorded 19th c.
US slang. Earliest known use 1884. Various theories include the red from bonfires, the heat from over-stoked paddle-wheel boilers, and town demarcation lines in the Wild West. A British claim attributing it to the actions of the Third Marquess of Waterford predates the first known use by decades.
- 01
big end of town
The top end of town.
- 02
bleed red ink
To suffer from severe net losses.
- 03
blow town
To suddenly leave one's residence.
- 04
clap one's hands red
To clap or applaud intensely.
- 05
company town
A town, city, or other municipality in which a single large business has a controlling influence over the economy and, sometimes, over the societal structure and the local government.
- 06
cut red tape
To reduce bureaucracy.
- 07
go to town
To proceed enthusiastically, vigorously, or expertly.
- 08
go to town on
To devour or consume (something); to enthusiastically or assiduously work on (something); to tear into (something).
Last updated August 10, 2026