Paint The Town Red
Meaning
At the end of final exams college students have traditionally gone out to paint the town red. College students traditionally also do this at the throughout the semester.
Example
The B.C. motor vehicle test is tough, but my car passed with flying colours.
Origin
This phrase originated with the Roman Empire. Roman soldiers used to wash the walls of a newly- conquered town or city with the blood of the vanquished. This was usually accomplished with a great degree of gusto, hence the term being applied to a great night on the town.
In the 19th century, the section of town where brothels and saloons were located was known as the red light district. So a group of lusty cowhands out for a night on the town might well take it into their heads to make the whole town red.
Paint the town red is a reference to the money spent in the process. The party goer ends up in the red paying for the celebration. Related phrase: In the red.
A joke that the resulting blood-shot eyes resulting from partying and drinking might actually color one’s field of vision red.
