live the life of Riley
to live an easy and luxurious life
TRANSLATION
live (lead) the life of Riley = leben wie Gott in Frankreich --- GOOGLE INDEX life of Riley: 443,000 hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
Being a student is no longer the LIFE OF RILEY, living at the taxpayer's expense. Grant cutbacks, student loans and tuition fees now threaten a life of poverty, for both student and parent.
(The London Independent)
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They'll tell you that someone in their 30s will need to save around 500,000 British pounds - adjusted for inflation - to ensure they get a pension of around 15,000 a year at today's prices. Not exactly the LIFE OF RILEY.
(adapted from the Sunday Herald)
(The London Independent)
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They'll tell you that someone in their 30s will need to save around 500,000 British pounds - adjusted for inflation - to ensure they get a pension of around 15,000 a year at today's prices. Not exactly the LIFE OF RILEY.
(adapted from the Sunday Herald)
Did you
know?
live (lead) the life of Riley
idiomatic phrase
- to live an easy and comfortable life, without any need to work hard
(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)
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WORD ORIGIN
No one really knows where or how this phrase originated, although several theories exist. One says that it can be traced back to the 1880s at a time when James Whitcomb Riley's poems depicted the comforts of a prosperous home life.
Another theory is that the phrase originated from the rich and powerful O'Reilly Irish family that lived in County Cavan. The family was involved in trade in medieval Ireland and at one time reilly was a term for Irish money. The family lived well, leading some people to suggest that this is where the phrase “to live or lead a life of Riley” came from.
The Life Of Riley was also a 1940s radio comedy show in the United States that was adapted into a 1949 film and later made into a long-running television series. Although the characters differed, all of them were middle class workers who led modest lives. Thus the title Life of Riley was used in an ironic sense.
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SYNONYMS
to live in the lap of luxury, to lead a cushy life, to have it good, to lead the good life, easy street
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IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS TODAY
say something like:
“I plan on living the life of Riley after I retire next year.”
idiomatic phrase
- to live an easy and comfortable life, without any need to work hard
(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)
---
WORD ORIGIN
No one really knows where or how this phrase originated, although several theories exist. One says that it can be traced back to the 1880s at a time when James Whitcomb Riley's poems depicted the comforts of a prosperous home life.
Another theory is that the phrase originated from the rich and powerful O'Reilly Irish family that lived in County Cavan. The family was involved in trade in medieval Ireland and at one time reilly was a term for Irish money. The family lived well, leading some people to suggest that this is where the phrase “to live or lead a life of Riley” came from.
The Life Of Riley was also a 1940s radio comedy show in the United States that was adapted into a 1949 film and later made into a long-running television series. Although the characters differed, all of them were middle class workers who led modest lives. Thus the title Life of Riley was used in an ironic sense.
---
SYNONYMS
to live in the lap of luxury, to lead a cushy life, to have it good, to lead the good life, easy street
---
IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS TODAY
say something like:
“I plan on living the life of Riley after I retire next year.”
