What does the expression painting the town red mean?

Question

What does it mean when people say we're gonna paint the town red?

Answer 1

To engage in a riotous spree.



It is sometimes said to come from the US slang use of "paint" to mean "drink", When someone's drunk their face and nose are flushed red, hence the analogy.

Answer 2

it goes back to the old railroad days. when the railroad engineers would stop in a town they would carry thier red lights through the town on thier way to a saloon or whorehouse, and as they walked through the town thier lights would paint the town red, it's also where you get red light district, when the railroaders would go into a house of ill repute they would leave thier light burning outside.

Answer 3

going out for a big night, pulling out all stops, spending up big, getting everything they want

Answer 4

being bad