life of Riley

WOTD - 29 May 2010    

English

Alternative forms

• life of Reilly

Etymology

• Various theories exist.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA: /ˈlaɪf əv ˈraɪ.li/

Noun

life of Riley (uncountable)

1. (idiomatic) An ideal life of carefree prosperity and contentment.
   • 1919, Alexander Woollcott, The Command is Forward: Tales of the A.E.F. Battlefields, page 257

     This is the story of the softships of the Third American Army. For the Yankee troops who were assigned to take and hold the Coblenz bridgehead are leading the life of Riley on the Rhine.

Translations

ideal life of care-free prosperity

Chinese: Mandarin: 安逸的生活 (zh), 无忧无虑的日子 (zh) Finnish: kissanpäivät (fi) pl., herran elämä (fi)

French: vie de Cocagne (fr), vie de coq-en-pâte (fr) Spanish: vida de Jauja (es)