Hi there, this is Harry and welcome back to advanced English lessons with Harry,
where we try to help you to get a better understanding of the English language. And
in this particular lesson, we're looking at celebration. Celebrate. Come on, go on,
as the song says, celebrate. So we're looking at idioms connected or used in relation to
celebrations. I've got 10 of them, I'll go through them. And I'll give you an example of each.
Okay, here we go to push the boat out. Well, when we push the boat out,
we go a little bit further than we usually do. So perhaps you got that all important promotion,
perhaps you won a little bit of money on the lotto, perhaps somebody paid you a fee that you
weren't expecting whatever happens, you have an extra little bit of money in your pocket,
or you got an extra reason for celebrating. So you decide to push the boat out. Okay,
look, instead of going for our usual pizza on a Friday, why don't we go to that really nice
restaurant in the centre of town, it got a great review. It's that little bit more
expensive than your typical pizza. But you know, this is a special celebration after all. Okay,
so you push the boat as you go a little bit further than what you might normally do. So let's
push the boat out. Or you're really pushing the boat, aren't you? So somebody might see you doing
something a little bit different than you usually do, when you celebrate, to push the boat out.
A good time was had by all but this is the expression we would use after the event. Okay,
so you've celebrated, and perhaps people are sending photographs around as they do
now on WhatsApp to show your their photographs that they took on the particular night. And,
and then somebody might use that expression. A good time was had by all. I recently had the good
fortune of celebrating my sister's 70th birthday, yes, 70 years. And so all the family of many
of the families possible got together with her friends, we had a little bit of a party. Somebody,
her husband, in fact, put together in a collage of photographs. And it was quite funny and enjoyable.
And we had lots of chat and catch up. So we could say after that that a good time was had
by all everybody enjoyed themselves as they did and as I did. A good time was had by all.
To go out on the tiles or to have a night out on the tiles. To have a night out on the tiles means
to go out and perhaps sing and dance and really have a good time. Yeah. So you wake up on the
Saturday morning, you're not feeling 100% And you go downstairs and it's one o'clock at lunchtime,
and the kids are looking at you and thinking what happened to you. And so Oh, yeah, we had a night
out on the tiles. There's a bit of a celebration in the office, because we want a big contract,
somebody bought another bottle of wine and one thing led to another. So please be quiet
today. I don't feel 100%. So we had a night out on the tiles. So when we really really went out
and just celebrated without any care or without a care in the world. Have a night out on the tiles.
Now the next one is you can use it at any particular time of the day to make a day of it,
to make a night of it to make an evening of it to make a weekend of it. So when we make that
time of it, it means to really enjoy yourself. Yeah, so let's go to the park or let's go to the
beach or let's go to the the nature reserve. And we'll make a day of it. So we'll put together a
picnic or we'll invite the grandkids and we make a day of it. Or why don't we go to that
nice place down the country that they're always advertising as a swimming pool indoors as a spa
for you so we could make a weekend of it. So we haven't been away for quite some time. So
when you do something a little bit special, you don't worry about how long it's going to
take. So you make a day of it. Make a night of it, make a weekend of it, but you really just
want to celebrate. Or your friend rings you up and said we're going to have some people
over to the house for a few drinks just close friends we're hoping that you two could come
along and let's make a night of it. Let's really really celebrate. It's the middle of summer so we
could use it as an excuse to celebrate the longest day. So to make a night of that, make a day of it,
make a weekend of it. Whatever you want to do something where you just spend that extra bit
of time you go to an extra bit of trouble just to make sure that the enjoyment is even more special.
Paint the town red. Well, something similar to when you go out on the tiles you paint the town
red. You really really had a good time. Oh, I don't know what the girls got up to last night
but they really painted the town red. That... they came in really, really late at sort of four
or five in the morning and made lots of noise that door was banging somebody was looking for
water or coffee or something but lots of fun and laughter so I woke up when they when they came in,
so I think I leave them sleep today because they, they were really painting the town
red. So they really went out and had a good time. They obviously went to the nightclub,
they went dancing and the looks of the floor with all the coats and everything laying on the floor.
I think they had a little bit extra wine or few beers, so they they really painted the town red.
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To kill the fatted calf. A little bit old-fashioned. A calf is a baby cow.
And when people used to celebrate, they would kill an animal and they would roast it on one
of these spirits and open fire and it would be something that would be fed for several weeks
in anticipation of the celebration. So fatted means it would be lots of feeds. So that would
be very succulent, and therefore, lots of people could enjoy it. So to kill the fatted
calf is to really really celebrate it's a special celebration, everything everybody's gone to enjoy
themselves. So when you go that extra mile, or you do that extra little bit of something
to make sure everybody enjoys themselves, you could say they killed the fatted calf
that they love left nothing to chance, the best food, plenty of drink plenty of sparkling wine,
champagne, the whole works, they really killed the fatted calf. So we really enjoyed ourselves.
To have a whale of a time. Well, a whale is one of those big,
big sea mammals. So the biggest. So to have a whale of a time, is have an amazing time. Okay,
so it's full of fun and laughter. Somebody might ask you, how was your holiday? Oh,
we had a whale of a time. Honestly, it was the best place we we had full board, every everything
you could eat and drink. There were floor shows every night there was entertainment for the kids.
We really enjoyed it. We had some free time. They had a whale of a time we had a whale of
a time. I think we'd go back there next year. And if anybody was asking for a recommendation,
wow, you couldn't think of a better place. Everything you wanted at your fingertips. Room
service. You couldn't fault it. We had a whale of a time we had a really, really good time.
To put the flags out. Well, when you put the flags out, literally you celebrate Yeah. So when in the
UK, the Queen was celebrating her 75th anniversary on the throne and ... So... 70th anniversary on
the throne. So that a big big celebrations, so all of the flags were out. So every flagpole on every
building, every lamppost and every street and every street corner, they had the Union Jack and
other flags flying fully. And beautiful, beautiful weather, lots of celebrations, lots of street
parties, so they really put the flags out. So when you put the flags out, you really make it your
business to celebrate. So if you watched it on the internet, or you saw it on the TV, or you were
speaking to friends who happen to be there, they all really enjoyed it, because in every corner,
and over three or four days, there are special celebrations, everywhere marches, parades, music,
singing, dancing. So to put the flags out means to really enjoy yourself a bit like pushing the
boat out. But to put the flag that means to show everybody, you're going to have a good time.
To let your hair down. Come with me, let your hair down. Well, this is a
metaphorical expression. So when you let your hair down, you really go out to enjoy yourself.
So when you've had a hard couple of months, perhaps you've been studying for an exam,
or your final exams, and your friends have decided, look, when these exams are over and
Friday, we're going to let our hair down and we're just going to go out and we're going
to party now for one night or two nights. We're going to party for a week. Okay, so we've really
worked hard for this. We've been in university and our course for four to five years. And it's
about time we celebrated. So we're going to go to town. let our hair down. And yep, expect us when
you see us. Yep. So that's the expression that you would use. So let your hair down. So really,
really let it loose, shake it out, and just go out and party. Let your hair down.
And then finally, to have the time of your life. You're going to have the time in your
life. So this is a little bit more sedate, but it is another way of expressing how you
celebrate. So perhaps as you're celebrating your retirement, so you've decided to go on
that world cruise with your partner, you're something you've always wanted to do. And now
the time you have the time to do it, you leave work. You go through the different parties and
the thanks. So it's time for you to relax. So you get yourself ready, you pack those bags,
you head off to the airport, you fly to the seaport, and you get yourself on that cruise.
And yet you have the time of your life. It's like a floating hotel, five or six levels,
everything you could possibly want theatres, cinema, restaurants, bowling, swimming pool,
and when you get out into the Mediterranean, and you're sailing around those different cities. Wow,
every stop is a new experience. Rome, Barcelona must say, Palermo in Sicily, wherever it might be,
you enjoy lots of photographs flying around on WhatsApp. And when you come home, the only thing
you can say to friends is yep, I had the time of my life, it was worth waiting for. So all
of those years of work have really finally paid off. Now it's time to put my feet up.
Okay, so all idioms connected with celebration. So if you want to celebrate or if you want to
practice, how to celebrate, these are some of the idioms that you can use. So let me go
through them one more time. To push the boat out to really push the boat out. A good time
was had by all. A little bit old fashioned but a good time was had by all. To go out to
have a night out on the tiles. To make it day and night and evening or a weekend of
it. To extend the celebration. To paint the town red to really go out and spend money,
splash the money around. Kill the fatted calf make sure everybody had enough to eat
and drink. Have a whale of a time really big really enjoyable. Put the flags out Yeah, wave
the flags on the flag poles really celebrate. Put the flags out. Let your hair down metaphorically,
of course. And then finally, to have the time of your life, to have the time of your life.
Okay, well, you won't remember them all. Pick out one or two of them that you think
are useful or that you can remember try to use them. And if you have any problems,
of course, come back to me, and I'll help you with
them. As always. Thanks for listening. Thanks for watching. Join me again soon.