Paint the town red means to indulge in the available entertainment in town such as nightclubs, bars and restaurants in a raucous and flamboyant manner. Related phrases are paints the town red, painted the town red, painting the town red. The origin of the idiom paint the town red can be reliably traced to the 1880s in the United States, when it was used to describe wild debauchery. The imagery in the phrase references the color the sky is “painted” when large bonfires are lit at nighttime, though the color red is often used to signify excitement. The phrase paint the town red is sometimes shortened to simply paint the town.
Examples
Although plenty of people still sport blue for the Jays, the Raptors’ history-making playoff run has painted the town red. (The Toronto Star)
The fitness fanatic, who has dropped from a size 16 to a size 8 within the space of 6 months, showed off her fab new figure in a tiny black playsuit as she painted the town red with her buddies. (The Sun)
Kevin Bridges shared familiar wi-fi woes with us, Rob Beckett revealed how now he is married life is more about painting fences than painting the town red and high-energy Russell Kane offered relationship tips. (The Evening Standard)
While it may seem a preposterous idea, the fact remains that Tehran has not shown any zest in painting the town red over the capture of territories in southern Syria bordering the Golan by the forces of the ‘resistance.’ (The Asia Times)
It is a Saturday night and all the yard work, grocery shopping and laundry is done; now it is time to go out and paint the town. (The Hopewell News)
“We end at nine, and if people want to go out and paint the town afterward, they’ve got a good start. Or they can just head home.” (Wilma Magazine)