Etymology Journal · H
Have a field day
Meaning
- To take full, often aggressive advantage of an opportunity to criticize, investigate, or enjoy oneself. It suggests an abundance of material or fun is readily available.
Playful, opportunistic, sharp
Used in a sentence
- The tabloids will have a field day with this celebrity scandal.
- I am going to have a field day cleaning out this organized pantry.
- The critics had a field day with the director's latest film.
The backstory
The term originated in military parlance as a day reserved for field exercises or sports. By the mid-19th century, it shifted to mean having a great time or an easy target for criticism.
Heard in
Nationwide
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