life [OE] The English word life is related to German Leib ‘body’, and also to leave [OE], and *live. The expression as large as life goes back to the days when portrait painting was common. Professional artists were expensive, and a good way of showing off your wealth was to have a portrait painted that was life-size. Early versions of the expression, dating from the mid 17th century, are greater or bigger than the life, with the modern form first recorded in the early 19th century. When someone lives the life of Riley they are enjoying a luxurious and carefree existence. Reilly or Riley is a common Irish surname, and the phrase may come from a popular song of the early 20th century called ‘My Name is Kelly’. This included the lines: ‘Faith and my name is Kelly Michael Kelly, / But I’m living the life of Reilly just the same.’ It is probable that the songwriter, H. Pease, was using an already existing catchphrase, but the song would have made it more widely known.