The 101 Names For Happiness

The other night I was lying in the bath listening to Just a Minute on Radio 4 and Lisa Tarbuck was given the topic of ‘The Perfect Sunday Afternoon’. 30 Seconds later she invented a way of describing happiness that has now become my firm favourite alternative. It led to the following poem – The 101 Names For Happiness.

Lisa’s is number 29, by the way, but you can listen to the original here (if I’m allowed Aunty Beeb). I began to think of all the different ways I could think of to describe happiness and quickly settled on ‘The 101 Names Of God’ idea as the structure for this. But there are more. I'm particularly interested in more inventive slang.

Try reading it out loud and describing these states personally for yourself. It could well lead you to your own state similar to Lisa Tarbuck’s. If you can think of anything I’ve left out, please leave it in the comments section below.

The 101 Names For Happiness.

1. An obvious place to start – I’m joyful,
2. I'm cheery,
3. And gay, (once upon a time.)
4. I'm bouncy,
5. I'm perky,
6. I'm gleeful,
7. And content.
8. I'm ecstatic,
9. And elated,
10. And enraptured,
11. And orgasmic. YES.
12. And jolly,
13. With vitality.
14. I'm excited,
15. The devil may care.
16. I’m as merry as the day is long.
17. I could be free and easy,
18. Or in good spirits.
19. I might be living the life of riley.
20. Or simply 'in a good mood'.
21. More adventurously I might be beatific,
22. Insouciant,
23. Or halcyon.
24. Definitely convivial.
25. Or even in rhapsody.
26. I shall turn to slang and be cool,
27. Or gone.
28. I'm right made up.
29. Or blissed off my chonk!
30. Lol, rofl!
31. I've got a spring in my step,
32. Because I’m d-mob happy.
33. Perhaps, today, I’m peppy
34. With pleasure,
35. Thrilled to the core.
36. Without a care in the world.
37. Zippity do dah.
38. Quoting the bard, I’m in stitches,
39. My heart's content.
40. Simile, I’m happy as Larry (or a clam, lark, sandboy, bunny or pig in shit.)
41. Up above I’m as high as a kite;
42. High-spirited;
43. As light as air;
44. Flying high.
45. I'm floating,
46. On cloud nine,
47. With a lightness of being.
48. On top of the world,
49. Over the moon!
50. Showing teeth by,
51. Grinning from ear to ear.
52. From ears to sounds: I'm upbeat,
53. Jazzed,
54. Or buzzed.
55. From ears to eyes, I’m radiant.
56. Tickled pink.
57. Light.
58. With a sense of taste, I’m full of zest.
59. The icing is on the cake!
60. In liquid I’m buoyant.
61. I'm juiced,
62. Effervescent,
63. Sparkling,
64. In the flow.
65. Bring it on – I’m singing in the rain.
66. And when the rain stops I have a sunny disposition;
67. Beaming like the sun at midday,
68. Down the primrose path, (Shakespeare again),
69. Making happy trails,
70. To dreamland.
71. Lying in bed I imagine the nursery alphabet and I'm amped,
72. Blithe,
73. Chirpy,
74. Delighted,
75. Euphoric,
76. Fabulous,
77. Glad.
78. Hyped.
79. Incandescent.
80. Jaunty.
81. Knockout.
82. Light-hearted,
83. Merry,
84. Nirvana,
85. Overjoyed,
86. Positively pleased as punch!
87. Quenched.
88. Rosy,
89. Sweet.
90. Transported.
91. Up.
92. Vim.
93. Wo-hoo!
94. Xanadu,
95. Yummy,
96. Zing!
97. And at the end I’m in heaven.
98. In seventh heaven,
99. Or paradise.
100. Because I am truly blessed.
101. Eternally happy ever after.

Bruce Stanley.

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