Roman holiday
English edit
Etymology edit
From the gladiatorial contests of Ancient Rome.
Noun edit
Roman holiday (plural Roman holidays)
- A form of public entertainment characterized by violence, degradation and suffering.
- 1958, Saul Bellow, Henderson the Rain King:
- Two guys swung at each other's legs with whips, skipping into the air. Such Roman holiday high jinks were not reassuring to me.