This week Shauna and Dan introduce the Quick Quips format which will be used when a phrase doesn't fit into the regular format. This week, Living the Dream! Bonus: Irony in the 1950s, Irony in the 1990s, and Irony in the 2020s.
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Bunny Trails: A Word History Podcast
Quick Quips
Episode 304: Living the Dream
Record Date: January 19, 2026
Air Date: January 21, 2026
Intro
Dan:
Welcome to Bunny Trails, a whimsical adventure of idioms and other turns of phrase.
I’m Dan Pugh
Shauna:
And I’m Shauna Harrison
Each week we take an idiom or other turn of phrase and try to tell the story from its entry into the English language, to how it’s used today.
Welcome to our first Quick Quips episode where we look at phrases that, for whatever reason, don’t fit into our regular format.
And to kick off this series, we are
Living the Dream!
Meaning
According to Oxford English Dictionary, to live the dream means,
Quote
to achieve the way of life one has dreamed of or longed for; to realize one's hopes and aspirations.
End quote
https://www.oed.com/dictionary/dream_n2?tab=meaning_and_use#320061261
How it Started (Could be figurative or literal)
1878
One of the earliest examples of this phrase is found in the January 1878 edition of Ballou’s Monthly Magazine, out of Boston, Massachusetts. Here is an excerpt,
Quote
The two..were living the dream that had blessed them in early youth.
End quote
https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/serial?id=ballous
https://www.oed.com/dictionary/dream_n2?tab=meaning_and_use#320061261
We still use living the dream to express this same idea - that life is wonderful and we have achieved or are doing the things we desire in life.
How it Shifted (or How it Became Figurative)
However, it took on additional meaning in the later part of the 1900s to include an ironic or sarcastic quality.
1993
In Brett Harvey’s 1993 work, The Fifties: A Women’s Oral History, one chapter titled ‘Living the Dream’ describes postwar suburban life that was sold as ideal but often fell short; crowded housing, rigid roles, and daily struggles. The chapter title itself carries its own statement of irony: people were supposedly ‘living the dream,’ but the reality was very different. This use of the phrase as a kind of wry commentary is an example of that shift from earnest aspiration to the ironic, sometimes sarcastic meaning commonly used today.
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Fifties/QqvAOZZV7TwC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22living+the+dream%22&pg=PA111&printsec=frontcover
This was mostly found in the spoken language of the day and made it into popular media in the 2000s.
Up next we’ll look at how the phrase is used today, but first, a quick thank you to our sponsors
A Quick Thank You
Dan
This episode is brought to you by our amazing Patrons on Patreon. It’s 100% free to join the Bunny Trails community, so give our weekly discussions and poll questions a try!
Shauna
If you love our content and want more,
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including early access to the week's episode,
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Dan
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How it's used today
2013
A modern example of the phrase is the 2013 episode of the tv sitcom, The Office, titled “Livin’ the Dream”.
The episode is the part of the big wrap-up of the show and follows the characters as they attempt to live their dreams… or just decide what their dreams are. The Office is notorious for its dry wit and its frank representation of daily life.
https://theoffice.fandom.com/wiki/Livin%27_the_Dream
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2876480/
2020
“Living the Dream” by Five Finger Death Punch is a 2020 song that uses the phrase as means of ironic social commentary. We’re going to look at the song a little closer and find out what one of the musicians, Zoltan Bathory, has to say about the ideals of the American Dream during our behind the scenes segment which airs every Friday on our patreon. Find it at Patreon.com/BunnyTrailsPod.
2020
The song “Livin’ The Dream” by Morgan Wallen was also released in 2020. It offers a personal take on the concept as Wallen discusses the hidden parts of his life, while from the outside things may appear dreamlike. Here are a few of the lyrics,
Quote
I look like a rockstar
In and out of cop cars
Trashin’ hotel bars
If I see the sunrise
It’s cause I stayed up all night
Drinkin’ cause I need to
Dammit what a good life
End quote
https://youtu.be/pLl2AvQUe5g?si=oJaMd7KGMSPRBY9g
Shauna:
That’s about all we have for today. If you have any thoughts on the show, or pop culture references we should have included, reach out to us on Patreon, patreon.com/bunnytrailspod, or comment on our website, bunnytrailspod.com
Poll question
Dan:
It’s poll time!
Recently we asked our Patrons: Who would narrate the documentary of your life?
Shauna:
Mary said:
Quote
I had a hard time choosing because these are all amazing narrators. I chose Whoopi (Goldberg) because I can see my life as a cross between TNG and Sister Act. Always on a journey into the unknown, knowing too much to ignore the truth, and setting it all to music.
End Quote
If it’s pure narration, Julia Roberts or Sandra Bullock for me. They both have a big, loud laugh like I do and they’d need that anytime they read a quote.
Dan:
Morgan Freeman or Patrick Stewart would be my top choices. But to be honest, I think the story of my life would be better as an audio book than a documentary film. And in that case, I'd want it narrated by Luke Daniels.
Dustin agreed on one of those:
Quote
I think Mr Stewart would do a good job. But at this point, I know two podcasts hosts that I would rather hear hosting my life
End Quote
Dustin, I also think Olly Mann and Helen Zaltzman would do a great job of it. But joking aside, we appreciate the compliment.
As a reminder, our silly polls mean absolutely nothing and are not scientifically valid. And patrons of all levels, including our free tiers, can take part. Head over to patreon.com/bunnytrailspod to take this week’s poll!
Outro
Dan:
Thanks for joining us. We’ll talk to you again next week. Until then remember,
Together:
Words belong to their users.
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