party spirit

Noun

party spirit (uncountable)

1. A feeling or sense of celebration or enjoyment.
   • 'Americans always have such a lot of misdirected party spirit,' said Gosling. 'One came to a party I have two years ago and drank so much that he died soon after.'1931 May, Anthony Powell, chapter 11, in Afternoon Men, London: Duckworth, →OCLC; new edition, Melbourne, Vic.; London: William Heinemann, 1952 (1960 reprint), →OCLC, part II (Perihelion), page 96
   • [...] [Denis Parsons] Burkitt would enter the party spirit and spare no pains to entertain the guests. As soon as he could get away, he would proceed on his rounds, accompanied by his wife and his son.1998, Ethel R. Nelson, “Encounter with a Unique Cancer”, in Burkitt: Cancer, Fiber: How a Humble Surgeon Changed the World!, Brushton, N.Y.: Teach Services, →ISBN, page 78
2. The feeling of common purpose and togetherness experienced or shown by members or supporters of a group, especially a political party, sometimes accompanied by unreasonable animosity towards members or supporters of other groups.
   • In the mean while, We will obſerve that beſides the Paſſion and Party Spirit, which poſſeſſ almoſt all Thoſe, who write on this Subject, there is a Diſtinction, which ſhould be conſtantly made in Caſes of this Nature, and which They never make, or never make exactly enough. They compare the...1734 January 29, “The Same Subject Continued. To Caleb D’Anvers, Esq”, in Caleb D’Anvers [pseudonym; Nicholas Amhurst; William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath; Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke; et...
   • Party-Spirit was the great and uncontroulable Adviſer and Defender of all things: Its groſſeſt Miſrepreſentations were readily believed; its moſt furious Dictates moſt chearfully obeyed.[1744], Sallust, “Discourse VIII. Of Civil Wars.”, in Thomas Gordon, transl., The Works of Sallust, Translated into English. With Political Discourses upon that Author. […], London: Printed for...