聖誕節是很多人一起歡聚、開心作樂的日子，所以大家會互祝Merry Christmas聖誕快樂。"merry" 明顯是「愉快、歡樂」的意思，"make merry" 即是尋找樂趣，譬如開派對，或是大家作樂一番、開心一下。
The students had been working very hard. So during the holidays, they made merry and arranged many activities.
學生們一直很用功學習，故此到了假期，他們便玩樂一番，安排了很多活動。
不過，英文很多時會帶點幽默感，說些反話，帶有merry一字的短語，並不一定真的說開心快樂事，反而是說麻煩困擾的事。
英文有一句短語lead a merry dance，說lead somebody a merry dance 或 lead somebody on a merry dance，字面上是帶領某人跳一支愉快舞曲，但真正意思是帶給某人很多的麻煩和憂慮，令他們不勝其煩，甚至做不成事，又或是誤導他們，要他們做很多不必要的事，浪費他們的時間，特意找麻煩。
The couple lied about a burglary and led the police a merry dance.
那對夫婦虛報爆竊案，令警方白費工夫，浪費了很多警力。
The chairman was led a merry dance by the members who did not agree to his new policy.
一些成員不同意主席的新政策，一直為主席製造很多的麻煩。
You should have told us your real intention from the beginning, rather than leading us on a merry dance.
你本該一早告訴我們你真正的意圖，而不是誤導我們，要我們白費心機。
Their daughter led them a dance by not telling them her whereabouts. They looked for her overnight.
女兒不告訴父母她的行蹤，害他們急得團團轉，徹夜找尋她的蹤影。
其實這短語中的merry可有可無，lead someone a dance意思一樣，但是多了merry一字，就多了點諷刺、嘲諷的味道，令文句多一點趣味。
play hell壞事情 混亂如地獄
另一個例子是play merry hell，hell是有如地獄般，非常惡劣的狀態，play hell是作出破壞性的行為，令情況不堪，亦可寫作play merry hell，意思同樣是造成破壞，引致混亂，play merry hell with something，即是製造障礙，造成傷害，窒礙了某些事情的運作或產生，壞了事。
The typhoon played hell with the already scheduled league games.
原已訂好日期的聯賽，被一場颱風打亂了。
The children went out of control and played merry hell. We have to stop them.
孩子們已然失控，到處搗亂。我們要制止他們了。
He played merry hell at the meeting to show his dissatisfaction.
他為了表達不滿，在會議中搗蛋，製造混亂。
雖然lead a merry dance和play merry hell都用了merry，但說的都不是什麼好的、開心的事。Merry在這兩句短語變成了反話，就像是在挖苦那些事情。■Lina CHU [ linachu88@gmail.com]