"Paint the Town Red"

I love learning about the origins of little sayings or expressions that we use today. A prime example of this is the well-known  phrase, "paint the town red." I use this saying myself when I talk about going out for a big night on the town or doing something adventurous and maybe even daring! I may say, "Me and the girls are going to paint the town red tonight" which may refer to the girls getting together to go bar hoping or drinking. This got me to think about who originally coined this term and why? What I found actually made a lot of sense.

 

It is said that the Marquis of Waterford and several of his friends visited the town of Melton Mowbray on April 6, 1837 for the horse races. During their visit, they went on a drunken spree vandalizing many buildings and what not along the way. This is no surprise among the people who knew and now know about the mischief making Marquis. In fact, he had a long list of naughty deeds behind him, including but not limited to: stealing, fighting, dueling, and breaking windows. This particular night in Melton Mowbray was no different. It was said the town's toll keeper would not allow them entry into the city, so they nailed the keeper in the building and painted the gates red. Still unsatisfied they continued on their spree. They knocked over potted plants along the market street, broke windows, and painted several doors and building fronts red. When the local authorities came to stop the madness, they painted them red as well. To finish off their antics the marquis climbed up on Swan Porch and painted the Swan Red!

Thus, it is said we get the saying "paint the town red" from this night of a drunken spree of the marquis and some friends. It makes a lot of sense since the term in today's meaning normally stands for a spree of inebriated mischief.

Now some people argue that the saying originally came from the Romans. It is said that the Romans would use the blood of the conquered to paint the town walls red. Thus, we get the saying paint the town red.

Still, the one thing that everyone agrees on is that the phrase was used in American papers. In 1800 or so in Kentucky the phrase was used on several occasions. Then again, in New York in 1883 and 1884 in Boston. The Chicago Advance used the term in 1897 to describe how a group of local boys painted the town red with fireworks.

 

The Handy-Book of Literary Curiosities lists the phrase as American slang. However, in this book, it exclaims that the phrase was used to describe how bonfires would light up the night sky.

 I think the Roman story is slightly gross and do not want to think of it any further. And I see now that the true source of the phrase has to be American. Still, I rather like the story of the Mad Marquis and his drunken tirade on the town of Melton Mowbray.
  
Picture Credits:
http://victoriancalendar.blogspot.com/2011/03/march-29-1859-death-in-hunting-field.html

http://phrases.org.uk/meanings/paint-the-town-red.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/12/04/river-red-blood-myjava-slovakia-picture_n_4382683.html

http://www.ket.org/pressroom/2007/09/KHONKGamblingPaper2_0900.jpg

References:
http://www.meltonmowbraytownestate.co.uk/peace-and-tranquillity/a-walk-in-the-park/swan-porch/painting-the-town-red

http://victoriancalendar.blogspot.com/2011/03/march-29-1859-death-in-hunting-field.html

Links you may enjoy:

This link tells you about the Marquis death.
 http://victoriancalendar.blogspot.com/2011/03/march-29-1859-death-in-hunting-field.html