It’s July already and many of you (I wish I could say “us”…) are on holiday! Yipeeee! Now’s time to do whatever you feel like, to catch up with old friends, to meet new friends, to get to know new places, and so on, but mostly, it’s time to relax! But given that I can’t relax, I’ll limit myself to talking about it and teach you several expressions we can use to talk about relaxing and having fun. Let’s go!
1. Chill / Chill out / Chillax
These three expressions are different ways of saying “relax”.
“Now that I’m on holiday, I need to chillax for a bit.“
2. Zonk out
If you zonk or zonk out, you relax and fall asleep.
“I’ve got plenty of time now so zonk out for an hour after lunch.«
3. Footloose and fancy-free
If you happen to be footloose and fancy-free, it means that you have no commitments or responsibilities, so you can do as you please.
“It feels strange to be footloose and fancy-free at last after so many months of hard work. This is a well-deserved holiday.”
4. Be/Have a blast
If something is a blast (or you have a blast), it means that it’s great fun and enjoyment.
“I have a feeling that today’s beach party is going to be a real blast!”
5. Let one’s hair down
We use this expression when someone can relax and enjoy their situation uninhibitedly because they are in a comfortable environment.
“Now that I won’t be at the office for a whole month, I can let my hair down a bit.«
6. Paint the town red
When you paint the town red, you go out with your friends to grab a few drinks in a pub or club.
“It’s our first weekend off. We’re going to paint the town red, man!«
7. Take it easy
When you do things in a relaxed manner and easy pace, you are taking it easy.
“Woa! Stop nagging me with house chores! I’m on holiday so I’m just going to take it easy…«
8. Take/Need a break (from…)
We usually need/take a break when we are overwhelmed by a situation or exhausted because of having worked too much.
“Good job the holidays are here. I really needed a break from work.»
9. Unwind
Everyone needs to unwind after a period of work or tension.
“It’s just as well we have some time to unwind. The office was driving me crazy!«
10. Put one’s feet up
When we put our feet up, we usually relax and do nothing.
“After such a hard last week at work, I just need to sit back and put my feet up for a whole weekend.«
There you go! Now that you are on holiday, you can sit back and relax, zonk out whenever you want, paint the town red with your best mates or take it easy and chillax all day long…and I really hope you do! But don’t forget that Keep Smiling English will still be here bringing you some awesome English learning tips, vocabulary, and much more, so don’t leave without subscribing to the blog and following KSE on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or YouTube.
Enjoy your summer holidays and Keep Smiling! 😉
