go to town

1. Act without restraint, overindulge, as in He went to town on the hors d'oeuvres, finishing nearly all of them . [Early 1900s]

2. Do something efficiently and energetically. For example, She really went to town, not only developing and printing the film but making both mat and frame . [Early 1900s]

3. Be successful, as in After months of hard work, their business is really going to town . [Mid-1900s]

Idioms and Phrases

Also, go to town on .

Example Sentences

“The person who buys this, one night could crack open a couple beers and open up the case and then go to town on these 16 boxes,” Mr. Simonds said.

From New York Times

“The Fed was very clear in their dot plot,” he said, “and I don’t know why the markets decided to double it and then go to town on that.”

From New York Times

"I would definitely not go to town in drag for a little drink with my friends," he says.

From BBC

If I needed to jot down a few notes in a pinch, and I was staring down at a CIA briefing on the latest Russian military posturing, I’d totally flip that bad boy to the blank backside and go to town.

From Slate

Plus, the beavers would go to town on some of the park’s trees.

From Slate

Related Words

• begin
• carry out
• develop
• do
• enforce
• execute
• function
• move
• operate
• pursue
• respond
• serve
• undertake