Idiom
whatever floats your boat
Meaning
One should do whatever stimulates one or suits one's inclinations.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“If you want to paint your room pink, whatever floats your boat.”
“Some people love running marathons, but I prefer reading at home; whatever floats your boat.”
“Whether you choose to pursue a traditional career or travel the world, you should simply do whatever floats your boat.”
Examples
simple
“If you want to paint your room pink, whatever floats your boat.”
contextual
“Some people love running marathons, but I prefer reading at home; whatever floats your boat.”
complex
“Whether you choose to pursue a traditional career or travel the world, you should simply do whatever floats your boat.”
Origin
The phrase appears to have originated in the late 1970s within the United States. Early evidence suggests it first emerged as a colloquialism among localized communities of pleasure boaters.
Key words
Related idioms
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