life of the party

life of the party

Someone who brings a lot of energy and enthusiasm to a social event, perhaps the main focus or source of enjoyment. Bill is definitely the life of the party—he's currently trying to get everyone up to dance!
See also: life, of, party
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

life of the party

Fig. a person who is lively and helps make a party fun and exciting. Bill is always the life of the party. Be sure to invite him. Bob isn't exactly the life of the party, but he's polite.
See also: life, of, party
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

life of the party

A lively, amusing person who is the center of attention at a social gathering. For example, Eileen was the life of the party, telling one good story after another. [First half of 1800s]
See also: life, of, party
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

the life of the party

Informal
An animated, amusing person who is the center of attention at a social gathering.
See also: life, of, party
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.

life of the party, the

A lively individual who helps make a social gathering a success. This term, dating from the first half of the nineteenth century, began as the life and soul of the party, but in time the second half was dropped. Joshua Ferris used it in his short story, “The Pilot”: “His pilot was a comedy in which the main character was a recovering alcoholic. . . . He was the ‘life of the party’” (New Yorker, June 14–21, 2010).
See also: life, of
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • life of the party, the
  • the life of the party
  • lease
  • a lease of life
  • a new lease of life
  • a new lease on life
  • new lease on life
  • new lease on life, a
  • give a new lease of life
  • sporting blood
References in periodicals archive
2."Life of the Party," $18.5 million ($2.9 million international).
Life of the Party is the third effort by the husband-wife duo, who previously gave us Tammy and The Boss ; both of which did nothing to shake up the box office.
Always up for a laugh, always the life of the party, rest in peace, you'll be sorely missed".
Written for teenagers as a gripping, cautionary tale, the story follows perfectionist Johanna's relationship with life of the party Paul.
Subtitled "made-to-fit tales for the maladjusted", this collection of short stories showcase a genuine and offbeat talent anthologized into a 110-page compendium which includes The South's Greatest Writer; Lunacy Grounded; Nature of the Beasts; Babes in Arms; Mightier than the Sword; Benny the Broker; The Twiddlebum Method: Shaping Today's Youth for a Limited Tomorrow; Behind the Throne; Kiss of Knowledge; The Battle of Florence Tucker; Scenic Hell Becomes Vacation Hot Spot; A Taste of Palp; Life of the Party; The Dirtiest Words in the World; Double Occupancy; Feed the Lawyers; The Bells of Griswald Stump; Mrs.
Harrison's new work, like certain awkward and entertaining people, gate-crashes the genre of sculpture but ends up being the life of the party anyway.
The Life of the Party. Morris Rinehart, TEI President 1964-1965, gives an amusing and heartfelt speech during the conference.
The young Till was known as loyal and responsible, a good-natured kid who loved to be the life of the party. But the boy from Chicago had committed the South's unpardonable sin: he had whistled at a white woman.
There are strategies for maximizing your cruise experience--even if you're not the life of the party. Gilbert, a late-30s single traveler with a goatee, sparkling eyes, bright conversation, and a shining bald spot, arrived two days early in Barcelona, the cruise's launch point, and signed up for precruise land tours.
In unique fashion, Wald presents White as possessing a dual persona; on the one hand, he was a compassionate and dedicated father a nd husband, while on the other hand, he was a womanizing playboy who was often the life of the party.
They're sure to be the life of the party whether you serve them as hors d'oeuvres or appetizers or pile them on for a lunch or dinner entree.
Kathy Silverman and Lisa Bloch ("Life of the Party: The Pamela Harriman Story") will adapt the book by Gerald McKnight, which was published in 1987.
What, one wonders, became of such mooted productions as a musical based on the late Pamela Harriman (The Life of the Party, as her biography was titled), the high-bred beauty whose many affairs, marriages, and political fund-raising eventually propelled her to become the U.S.
Dopamine, a chemical essential to brain function, has a reputation for being the life of the party Dopamine's day job is to act as a neurotransmitter, passing messages between nerve cells.
Pomeroy (1933); The Life of the Party (1935); and The Real Ruth Arnold (1945).