Idiom meaning, usage examples, facts

1. When Henry retires, he plans to live the life of Riley. He won’t have to work and he’ll be able to putter around the garden every day.
2. Mrs. Hartley lived the life of Riley until her husband died and she had to take on two jobs to support herself.

Similar to: lap of luxury. The lap of luxury means a very comfortable life because one is rich, whereas the life of Riley is an easy-going life because one doesn’t have to work or isn’t working. Someone who is poor can lead the life of Riley if he or she doesn’t mind being poor. The expression the life of Riley seems to originate from a song that was popular in the 1880s. It was a comic song called “Is That Mr. Reilly?” written by Pat Rooney, and it described what Mr. Reilly would do if he suddenly became rich.