Idiom of the week: Let your hair down.

Definition: To behave more freely than usual and enjoy yourself without worrying what other people might think.

Example: “Did you see Amy at the club yesterday? She really let her hair down – she was funny and lively, so different to how she is at work!”

Origin:  

This idiom has its roots in the 17th century. By that time, women were expected to wear their hair up in public, either in a bun, pinned on their head or in elaborate styles. They would only let their hair down in order to wash or brush it, or when they were alone at home and could relax.

Today, every time someone tells you to ‘let your hair down’, they don’t mean that you should take the pins out of your hair, but what they actually mean is that you should relax and enjoy yourself! So, why don’t we all do it! Let’s all let our hair down today!