whale of a time

a whale of a (good) time

An exceptionally fun, exciting, or amusing experience. (Usually used in the phrase, "have a whale of a (good) time.") Gee, Samantha, I sure had a whale of a time at the dance with you last night. We should go out again sometime! Come out to our party this weekend, it's sure to be a whale of a good time! I had a whale of a time at Pete's wedding—I danced all night long!

See also: of, time, whale

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

whale of a time

A very enjoyable experience, as in We had a whale of a time in Puerto Rico. This idiom alludes to the largest mammal to describe something very large and impressive. [Colloquial; early 1900s]

See also: of, time, whale

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.