# party like it's 1999

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/party-like-its-1999
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To party intensely, particularly when reckless or pessimistic.

## Examples

- We are going to party like it's 1999 tonight.
- They party like it's 1999 because they do not care about tomorrow.
- After finishing our final exams, we decided to go out and party like it's 1999.
- The company hit its sales goal, so the boss told everyone to head to the bar and party like it's 1999.
- Even though the economy is struggling, people are still spending their savings to party like it's 1999 this weekend.
- Ignoring the looming deadline and the mounting pressure of their responsibilities, the group chose to party like it's 1999 for one last night of reckless abandon.

## Origin

Derived from the Prince song 1999, which was released in 1982. The lyric originally referenced a nuclear apocalypse predicted to occur in the year 2000, suggesting that one might as well celebrate with intensity before the arrival of the end. The phrase was later reinterpreted as the millennium approached. The sense shifted from a pre-apocalyptic gesture to the expectation that the turn of the century required a particularly large celebration.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.