Today's MailBits.com Trivia Question:
Why is someone living the easy life "living the life of Riley?"
The Answer:
Whoever this guy Riley is, the tax collector would probably like to know about his source of income. People attribute such a grand lifestyle to him that he must have done quite well for himself. In fact, no one has ever traced the expression to an actual person, and he or she probably never really existed. But we do know where the expression almost certainly originated. His name was originally O'Riley (or O'Reilly--the spelling varies) and he was given life in a song, "Are You the O'Riley?" made popular in the late 19th century by the great vaudeville performer, Pat Rooney. In the song, O'Riley is always looking to strike it rich and lead the good life. Today, of course, we are more realistic about the possibilities of getting rich quick and actually living the life of Riley.(Pssst. Wanna buy a lottery ticket? How about a hot Internet stock?)
Source: DICTIONARY OF WORD & PHRASE ORIGINS by W. & M. Morris
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