party like it's 1999

English

Etymology

From the Prince song called 1999 and released in 1982. The song uses the phrase in reference to a nuclear apocalypse predicted to occur in the year 2000,[1][2] but it was later reinterpreted as meaning that a turn of the millennium calls for a particularly large celebration, compare the nonce party like it's 1899.

Verb

party like it's 1999 (third-person singular simple present parties like it's 1999, present participle partying like it's 1999, simple past and past participle partied like it was 1999 or partied like it's 1999)

  1. (idiomatic, simile) To party intensely, particularly when reckless or pessimistic.
    • 1983, “Laughlin Hall”, in Amita Chaudhary, editor, Cornerstone‎, Chatham College, page 117:
      This past year the girls in Laughlin worked hard at protesting Chatham's prohibition and at getting a reputation for the best parties in town. They succeeded at living up to their theme — Party Like it's 1999!
    • 2004 April 18, Kamal Ahmed, “EU approves €6m welcome party for new members”, in The Guardian‎:
      The European Union is not an organisation to do things by halves, particularly when it comes to a celebration. This time Europe will party like it's 1999. Or more precisely 1 May, 2004.
    • 2014, Ms. Betty [pseudonym], Ain't that bout' a b*tch‎, Xlibris, →ISBN, page 92:
      […] I was deep in the streets with ole friends and new ones, drinking (as usual), spot hopping and partying like it was 1999.

See also

References
  1. Alan Sutton, editor (1982 October 2), “Rhythm Section”, in Cash Box‎, volume XLIV, number 19, New York: Cash Box Publishing Company, →ISSN, page 25:
    […] but the well-crafted vocals speak of armageddon[sic] in the year 2000. In this song, where Prince says he wants to “party like it’s 1999,” 1999 is yesterday, the good ole’ days before the nuke blast.
  2. David T. Viecelli (1982 December 9) “Prince: Love Action as the End Nears”, in John Liddle, editor, The Lance‎, volume LV, number 13, Windsor: Student Media Corportation, Univeristy of Windsor, page 11: “[…] its ["1999"] prognosis of inevitable holocaust due to nuclear proliferation; and its prescription of large-scale fun-having serves not as a remedy, but rather as the only logical way to bow out.”
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.