Idiom of the week: Paint the town red

Have you ever painted the town red? Do you think you haven't? It's not what you're thinking about. It's nothing like picking up a brush and spreading fresh paint around your neighbourhood!

“Painting the town red” is what people do when they go out and enjoy themselves in the evening, usually with friends. Yes, it's an idiom for "going out" or "hanging out", and it might imply unruly behaviour. It is generally thought that the colour red refers to how such unruly behaviour could lead to some blood spilling, although there are are theories as to the origin of the metaphor. For example:

“The beacon hills were painted red / With many a fire that night.” (old Irish ballad)

“The boys painted the town red with firecrackers on Independence Day.” (Chicago Advance [1897])

“We are they who painted the world scarlet with sins.” (Oscar Wilde).

So really, according to these quotes, the colour red could be referring to blood, fire, firecrackers, the sins we commit... Or a little bit of everything.

What is generally agreed is that the idiom “paint the town red” originated in the 19^th century, when the Marquess of Waterford and his friends ran riot in Melton Mobray (Leicestershire, England) after a successful hunting day, and painted several buildings red. Some traces of red paint can still be seen on old walls nowadays.