To paint the town red


Li:So now, Will, tell me about all this crazy fun we're meant to have. What's your idea of painting the town red?

Will: Hello! I'm Will. It's Friday night—time to have fun! This is the Burning Swan—my favourite pub. I'm just waiting for Li. Oh there she is. My goodness! What is she wearing this time?
Li: Hi Will.
Will: Hi Li! Nice ... blue overalls!
Li: Thank you, these are new overalls, I bought them especially for tonight.
Will: Right. Okay. Li, I don't really follow fashion, but in London at least, denim overalls are really just for builders and painters and carpenters.
Li: Yes! Right, where do we start, Will?
Will: Eh? What? What are you doing?
Li: It's definitely very dull in here.
Will: Why have you got a can of paint?
Li: That wall especially. Shall we?
Will: Li? What are you doing? She's finally gone mad. Li!
Li: What's the matter?
Will: Look, you can't just walk into places and start repainting their walls! Don't! I love that brown colour!
Li: Didn't you want it to be red?
Will: No! No-one wants it to be red!
Li: But you said that tonight we'd paint the town red—starting with this pub!
Will: It's an expression!
Li: Not again!
Will: It means that we'll go out and have a really exciting, crazy time. We'll paint the town red—it just means we'll have fun, not actually paint things. Let's listen to some examples.
It's my daughter's birthday today. She's gone out with her friends. I expect they'll paint the town red!
Go on, come out with me tonight, let's paint the town red!
Will: Well we drink, we dance, we laugh loudly, we meet people, we stay up all night.
Li: Hmm. I'd still rather just paint. Let's just do this one wall.
Will: No, Li, stop, stop we'll get arrested.
Li: Isn't that colour so much better?
Will: No! No! Look, stop it! You'll ruin our night out!
Li: It's beautiful!
Will: Li! Stop!