“You Made My Day!” Meaning

Time for a very positive post!

Today, we’ll be talking about different ways to talk about happiness.

So, banish those negative thoughts, think about what makes you happy and let’s go!

Made My Day

You know those really bad days where nothing seems to go right?

I always find that a cup of tea and some chocolate make everything better.

But what really makes my day is when somebody else makes the tea for me!

As well as using “make my day” to talk about the highlight of your day, we use it when somebody gifts you something or does you a huge favor.

You could say “thanks, you’ve made my day!”

As Happy as a Clam

If you want to talk about your happiness in general, you could say “I’m as happy as a clam”. 

A clam is a creature which lives in the sea. It consists of two shells, and you can eat the soft middle.

Ok, but why would clams be happy?

And surely I’m happier than a clam? Well, apparently the full expression once was “I’m as happy as a clam at high water” which is when clams would be free from predators, safe, and therefore in their happiest state.

Do clams even have feelings? Who knows!

But I know that when it’s a sunny day and I get to ride my bike, I’m as happy as a clam. 

Continuing with the sea theme, if you’re having a wonderful time you could say “I’m having a whale of a time!” 

Top of the World

Now let’s move away from the sea, and into the sky (and beyond!). If you’re generally feeling extremely happy, you could say: “I’m on top of the world”.

Imagine Dragons could help you remember this one. It’s not about one particular event, but your feelings in general.

Maybe you proposed to your partner and they said yes and now you’re on top of the world!

You could also say “I’m walking on air” or “I’m on cloud nine”.

Not feeling positive enough yet? Well, you could also be “over the moon”.

There’s a lot of discussion, but not much agreement, about how these phrases came to agree.

Personally, I think it’s because you feel light and free like you could walk on air or sit on a cloud. What do you think?

British Sarcasm?

Brits aren’t known for being particularly joyful. Ecstatic is another word which wouldn’t be used to describe the British. However, these phrases are quite common in our day to day lives. How? Sarcasm, of course!

Imagine it’s your birthday, all your friends and family are there to celebrate, you have wonderful food and have been given great gifts.

If somebody asks you “how’s it going?”, you could say “I’m having a whale of a time!” (with a rising intonation – think about how you’d say it if you were happy!).

Now, imagine you’ve gone to somebody else’s birthday party, you only know one person there, you hate the food, you feel sick, and you want to go home.

If somebody asks you “how’s it going?”, you could say “I’m having a whale of a time” with a flat or falling intonation. 

The same goes for any of the expressions above!

Wrap-up

I’ve enjoyed thinking about all the things which make me happy, and times when I have felt genuinely joyful.

Now, I feel as happy as a clam, and like I’ve been walking on the air.

I hope you’ve been able to reflect on your happiness too!