The Archive

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

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