Roman Holiday
A Roman holiday is entertainment derived from others' suffering—spectacles of cruelty or misfortune that draw eager crowds.
The phrase evokes ancient Rome's gladiatorial games, where audiences gathered to watch men fight and die.
More loosely, it can mean any extravagant escape or adventure, influenced by the 1953 film of that title.
- 1953Mid-century year
- black-and-whiteWithout color gradations
- OscarAcademy's golden award
- romantic comedyHumorous love story genre
Gregory Peck · Vespa · princess · reporter · Paramount · screenplay · runaway · haircut
Italy's capital city
- ColosseumFlavian arena in Rome
- VaticanPapal city-state
- Trevi FountainFamous Roman water feature
- PantheonRoman temple for all gods
Spanish Steps · piazza · sightseeing · Vespa · trattoria · gelato · Forum · villa
Expensive nonessential comfort
- pleasureHappy, satisfied feeling
- splurgeSpend freely, impulsively
- treatSomething pleasantly special
- pamperingLavish attentive care
gelato · espresso · la dolce vita · leisure · shopping · café · gourmet · extravagance
Swift departure or retreat
- freedomAbsence of constraint
- adventureRisky exciting undertaking
- respiteShort pause from hardship
- liberationRelease from constraint
anonymity · incognito · runaway · sabbatical · retreat · hiatus · truancy · spontaneity
Audrey Hepburn
- 1953Mid-century year
- black-and-whiteWithout color gradations
- OscarAcademy's golden award
Gregory Peck · romantic comedy · Vespa · princess · reporter · Paramount · screenplay · runaway · haircut · gelato
Rome
Italy's capital city
- ColosseumFlavian arena in Rome
- VaticanPapal city-state
- Trevi FountainFamous Roman water feature
Pantheon · Spanish Steps · piazza · sightseeing · Vespa · trattoria · gelato · Forum · villa · fountain
luxury
Expensive nonessential comfort
pampering · gelato · espresso · la dolce vita · leisure · shopping · café · gourmet · extravagance · decadence
getaway
Swift departure or retreat
liberation · anonymity · incognito · runaway · sabbatical · retreat · hiatus · truancy · spontaneity · rebellion
- City FilmsCasablanca, Manhattan, Chicago, La La Land, Midnight in Paris
- Classic FilmsCasablanca, Citizen Kane, Gone with the Wind, Some Like It Hot, Vertigo
- Italian CinemaFederico Fellini, Sergio Leone, neorealism, La Dolce Vita, spaghetti western
- Paramount FilmsThe Godfather, Titanic, Forrest Gump, Top Gun, Grease
- Road MoviesEasy Rider, Thelma and Louise, National Lampoon's Vacation, Rain Man, Dumb and Dumber
- 20th Century ItalyMussolini, fascism, neorealism, economic miracle, Christian Democrats
Roman Holidaystaycation
Rest period spent locally
working vacation · business trip · forced march · homesickness
Roman Holidayfilm noir
Stylish, shadowy crime drama
tragedy · gritty realism · war film · horror movie · neorealism
Roman, holiday, Romans, Romance, Romanize, Romanization, holidays, holidayed, holidaying