red-letter day, a
red-letter day
A very important or significant day. My college graduation was a real red-letter day for my whole family.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
red-letter day
Fig. an important or significant day. (From the practice of printing holidays in red on the calendar.) Today was a red-letter day in our history. It was a red-letter day for our club.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
red-letter day
A special occasion, as in When Jack comes home from his tour of duty, that'll be a red-letter day. This term alludes to the practice of marking feast days and other holy days in red on church calendars, dating from the 1400s. [c. 1700]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
a red-letter day
A red-letter day is a day when something very important or exciting happens. Back in 1986 Jim had his first picture published in BBC Wildlife Magazine. `That was a real red-letter day for me!' he confesses. Note: In the past, important feast days and saints' days were printed in red in some calendars.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
a red-ˈletter day
a very special day which is remembered because something important or good happened: Today was a red-letter day. We heard we had won a free trip to Japan.Religious holidays and other important dates used to be printed in red on calendars.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
red-letter day
n. an important day that might well be marked in red on the calendar. Today was a red-letter day in our history.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
red-letter day, a
A special occasion. The term comes from the practice of printing feast days and other special holy days in red on ecclesiastical calendars, from the fifteenth century on. Charles Lamb used the expression in describing Oxford during the long vacation: “The red-letter days now become, to all intents and purposes, dead-letter days” (Essays of Elia, 1823).
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- a red letter day
- a red-letter day
- all day long
- day by day
- just another day at the office
- from day to day
- make a day of (doing something)
- make a day of doing
- make a day of it
- any day now