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What is another way of saying, "raise the roof"? This slang phrase means something like, "get noisy and have a good time at a party," but it doesn't sound correct for some reasons.

Why is that? What would be better?

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    What context are you talking/writing in? Different alternatives will be good in different contexts.
    – PLL
    Commented Aug 28, 2011 at 6:45

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You might get down, especially if you plan to dance. Or, if you want to make a lot of noise, you might intend to rock the house.

Slang terms for partying tend to change along with pop culture, which means that while suggesting you get slizzard now is popular due to recent mentions in music, it'll be uncool soon enough; calling something crunk probably sounds outdated; and suggesting you get the party started might get you an eye-roll unless your friends are fans of Pink.

If you're looking for something more timeless, try the simple version: let's party!

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A few of the idioms i've heard:

"Tear the house down"

"Rock the house"

"Heat this place up"

There are others.

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It seems "lame" because it's antiquated -- the only thing that spreads as quickly is slang is the knowledge that a slang term has become "uncool."

"Raise the roof" is a dance move, usually used (the key word here is USED -- it's completely out of favor) in hip hop, in which you push the palm of your hands towards the ceiling as if you're raising and then lowering the roof over and over.

"Raise the roof" is also a phrase that expresses the sentiment that a group intends to "go out". It can also just be an expression of excitement. Depending on which meaning you're using, there are many ways to say it, and you probably don't need to use slang regardless of what group you're addressing. One alternative would be "Let's hit the club!"

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  • Are there some cases where saying it wouldn't be lame?
    – language hacker
    Commented Aug 27, 2011 at 7:04
  • @language hacker Like all slang, it can be used ironically among a pretty nerdy group of friends. That's all I can think of.
    – Jeremy
    Commented Aug 27, 2011 at 7:06
  • I really can't think of any specific phrases that are quite as good as this though.
    – language hacker
    Commented Aug 27, 2011 at 7:09
  • It may be antiquated as a hip-hop dance move or as particularly trendy slang, but in a wider context, I’d have thought it’s still fine — it’s been around for well over a century, and while it peaked in about the fifties (according to Google Ngrams), it’s still been in steady usage ever since. Fads go out of date quickly, but to me, it doesn’t sound either like trendy slang or un-trendy slang; it’s just a well-known phrase.
    – PLL
    Commented Aug 28, 2011 at 6:49

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