Paint the town red Informal

To go out and celebrate in an exuberant, unrestrained way, typically visiting several bars, clubs, or parties in one night.

It usually implies a memorable, high-energy night out with friends rather than a quiet celebration, and carries no negative judgment — it’s a festive, enthusiastic phrase.

The most commonly repeated origin story involves the Marquess of Waterford, Henry de La Poer Beresford, who in April 1837 led a drunken rampage with friends through the town of Melton Mowbray, England, vandalizing doors, window shutters, and a tollgate with red paint after a night of heavy drinking; contemporary local records do describe this real incident of vandalism. What’s less certain is the direct link between that event and the phrase itself: the exact wording “paint the town red” is not found in print until decades later, with clear citations only appearing in American newspapers around the 1880s, describing rowdy nights out in a figurative sense unconnected to any literal paint. Because of this gap, etymologists generally treat the Waterford incident as, at best, a possible inspiration rather than a confirmed origin — the phrase may equally have developed independently from the general image of a town lit up in the fiery reds of celebration, gaslight, or drink.

After finishing exams, we went out and painted the town red.

It’s her birthday, so we’re planning to paint the town red this weekend.

The team painted the town red after winning the championship.

A: What are you doing to celebrate the promotion? B: Painting the town red, obviously.