get a bang out of

Idioms and Phrases

Also get a charge or kick out of . Get a feeling of excitement from, get a thrill from. For example, I get a bang out of taking the kids to the amusement park , or I get a charge out of her imitations . The first two terms allude to the jolt of an electrical charge. The first dates from the 1920s; Damon Runyon had it in Guys and Dolls (1929): “He seems to be getting a great bang out of the doings.” The second dates from the mid-1900s. The third probably alludes to the stimulating effect of a strong alcoholic drink— kick was used in this sense from the 1840s on—but the precise wording dates from the early 1900s. Cole Porter used it for one of his most popular songs, “I Get A Kick Out of You” (1934).