“Whatever floats your boat”: meaning, origin and examples
What it means
The phrase Whatever floats your boat means to do what makes you happy or whatever pleases you.
Tone Casual and informal
Where it comes from
The phrase likely originated among pleasure boaters in the USA. Early uses date back to the late 1970s and early 1980s in American newspapers, where it was used figuratively to suggest doing what one enjoys or prefers. The expression builds on the idea of keeping a boat afloat, as a metaphor for maintaining personal happiness or satisfaction.
Examples
- If you’d rather spend your holiday in a library, go ahead—whatever floats your boat!
- You like collecting stamps? That’s cool, whatever floats your boat.
- I wouldn’t choose that paint colour, but whatever floats your boat.
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