kick up one's heels

Idioms and Phrases

Enjoy oneself, as in When she retires, she plans to kick up her heels and travel . This expression originated about 1600 with a totally different meaning, “to be killed.” The modern sense, alluding to a prancing horse or exuberant dancer, dates from about 1900.

Example Sentences

Then he threw himself on the green sward and laughed, and told Ysobel what a fine thing it was to be carefree of a spouse and able to kick up one’s heels:––“If it had not been for love and a wedding day you would be happily planting beans in the garden of the nuns instead of following a foreign husband to his own people!”

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• honor
• laud
• observe
• perform
• praise
• proclaim
• revere