party like it's 1999
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]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 the turn of the millennium calls for a particularly large celebration.
Verb
[edit]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)
- (idiomatic, simile) To party intensely, particularly when reckless or pessimistic.
- 1983, “Laughlin Hall”, in Amita Chaudhary, editor, Cornerstone[3], 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[4]:
- 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.
See also
[edit]- Appendix:Snowclones/party like it's XX99
- yolo
- as if there were no tomorrow, like there is no tomorrow
References
[edit]- ^ Alan Sutton, editor (1982 October 2), “Rhythm Section”, in Cash Box[1], 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.
- ^ David T. Viecelli (1982 December 9) “Prince: Love Action as the End Nears”, in John Liddle, editor, The Lance[2], volume LV, number 13, Windsor: Student Media Corportation, University 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.”