happy-go-lucky

English

Adjective

happy-go-lucky (comparative happy-go-luckier, superlative happy-go-luckiest)

1. carefree or untroubled
   • 2021 September 15, Laura Martin, “How talent shows became TV's most bizarre programmes”, in BBC‎^[1]:

     Hill says the shows began to morph from happy-go-lucky, fun series to production-line star-makers, which subconsciously changed the tone of the series: "Reality talent shows made it easier and quicker for audiences to pay to vote for the winner and loser, and to comment positively and negatively on contestants in social media."

Synonyms

• devil-may-care

Translations

carefree

• Dutch: onbekommerd (nl), onbezorgd (nl), zorgeloos (nl)
• French: insouciant (fr) m
• German: sorgenfrei (de), unbekümmert (de)
• Polish: beztroski (pl), luzacki, niefrasobliwy (pl)
• Portuguese: despreocupado (pt)
• Russian: беззабо́тный (ru) (bezzabótnyj), беспе́чный (ru) (bespéčnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: coma-co-dhiù
• Spanish: despreocupado (es)
• Swedish: bekymmerslös (sv), sorgfri (sv), sorglös (sv), obekymrad (sv)

Noun

happy-go-lucky (plural happy-go-luckies)

1. One who is happy-go-lucky.
   • 1978, Rita Puttcamp, Operation Bro-kee, page 35:

     Now, both these kids are your friends, but one is mature and responsible, taking his time to understand what he is doing and why he is doing it, and the other friend is a happy-go-lucky, who just lets things happen to him.

   • 2006, Karin Barber, Africa's Hidden Histories: Everyday Literacy and Making the Self:

     Sara was presumably the “desperate” girl and Thomas the “happy-go-lucky” who would be vindicated once Sara's baby was born “too soon,” less than nine months after their encounter

   • 2010, Viggo P. Hansen, Noah:

     Suppose our 'happy-go-luckies' get sea sick.

2. (obsolete) A person who does odd jobs.
   • 1950, Canada. Parliament. House of Commons, Official Report of Debates:

     Then we have a new bunch growing up called "casuals". I looked that up in the dictionary and it means happy-go-luckies. The amount for these happy-go-luckies or casuals involves another 25 per cent of the total amount of the item, and we are asked to vote it without any details whatsoever.

Translations

carefree, blithe person

• German: Bruder Leichtfuß m, Susi Sorglos f

Adverb

happy-go-lucky (comparative more happy-go-lucky, superlative most happy-go-lucky)

1. (obsolete) As luck will have it.
   • 1731, William Wycherley, Plays Written by Mr. William Wycherley:

     You have nothing to fear ; you have your twenty guineas in your pocket for helping me into my service, and if I get into Mrs. Martha's quarters, you have a hundred more ; if into the widow's, fifty : — happy go lucky !