“To have a blast” is a popular expression for having a good time, often involving energetic fun and rule-breaking. It can also be used sarcastically. The origin of the phrase is unclear, as “explosion” has multiple meanings and idiomatic uses.
Someone who is out at a barbecue where the food is plentiful, the drinks are flowing, the music is throbbing, and everyone is out on the dance floor is likely to have a great time at that party. The expression “to have a blast” is not as transparent or obvious as many English expressions. Be that as it may, since everyone likes to have a good time, it’s a popular and common expression that could come up in conversations, from the most casual to the most professional.
Most of the time, having fun suggests energetic fun and maybe even a little rule change. It could very well involve staying out beyond curfew for young partiers and staying out beyond the time the babysitter expects for the older ones. An explosion is such a beautiful moment that there is almost no way to control it or escape her happy and excited clutches. It could also be used as a sort of apology, for example, when a student apologizes for a late assignment by telling the teacher it was his mother’s birthday, and they were all having so much fun that he couldn’t tear himself away long enough to finish his job.
The expression to have fun also lends itself to sarcasm. As a co-worker waddles into a meeting that is likely to turn into a confrontation, an office mate might throw in a cheery, “Enjoy!” Someone who just got back from the world’s worst first date may sadly report to friends that they had a blast, which means quite the opposite.
It’s hard to imagine how the phrase came about. The word explosion has several meanings. It can be used to describe a strong blast of air that is usually very cold or a very loud sound. A boss who is very unhappy with an employee will blow her off, which means telling her exactly what he’s doing wrong. “Blast” is a somewhat old-fashioned expression of frustration uttered by older people who have just been interrupted on the street or opened an unexpected account.
It is unclear how any of these uses of the word explosion contribute to the meaning of the expression. The confusion can only be compounded when considering other idiomatic usages that include the word explosion. For example, jets explode and so do angry people. The idiom “blast from the past” means that a memory or a person brought back a strong reminder of how things used to be. Someone who does incredibly well has blown the competition out of the water.
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