Have a whale of a time means to enjoy yourself enormously, to have great fun. The idiom describes a party, trip or celebration that leaves you with vivid memories. It's conversational and a little jokey; in an essay, enjoy yourself or have a great time is enough.
When would you say have a whale of a time?
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have a whale of a time (doing something); have a whale of a time at + event
- The children had a whale of a time at the water park in Barcelona.
- We had a whale of a time dancing at my cousin's wedding until two in the morning.
What changed
First versionWe had a whale time at the festival.
RevisionWe had a whale of a time at the festival.
The form of the idiom never changes: a whale of a time. Without of a, you get a meaningless “whale time”. The two missing words were added.
Have a whale of a time is stronger than have a good time: not just good, but great fun. Even stronger is have the time of your life, meaning the best time you've ever had: I had the time of my life in Italy.
Your turn
The kids ___ at the birthday party and didn't want to leave when their parents arrived.
Show the answer
had a whale of a time — The children didn't want to leave, so they were having great fun: had a whale of a time. Had a hard time means “found it difficult”, and then they would have been glad to go.
Think of an event where you had great fun. Say where it took place and what you did there.
I had a whale of a time at a jazz festival in Montreux, where we danced by the lake every night.
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