Holidays , birthdays , and anniversaries are events that we often celebrate with a party . Have you ever noticed how some people love such gatherings while others dislike them just as strongly ? And we have names for both kinds . Consider the term party animal , for example . A party animal does not just like parties . They love parties . They are always ready for parties . They seek out parties and they may throw a lot of parties as well ! When a party animal is at such gatherings , they are often the most energetic and enthusiastic of attendees . They are likely to be called the life of the party . That is the person who is best at keeping the party fun and alive . On the other hand , there are people who do not enjoy parties . They do not think such gatherings are fun . This person is a party pooper . When others want to have fun together , they would rather be doing something else . A person can be a party pooper about events other than parties , also . Let's say a friend asks you if you want to go for a bicycle ride . You say no . You say it is cold and cloudy and you have too much work to do . Your friend might call you a party pooper as a result . Similar to the party pooper is a Debbie downer . This is someone who always points out the bad in a situation . The term came into existence in 2004 as the name for a character on the television show Saturday Night Live . A similar meaning word is killjoy : someone who crushes a pleasurable experience . We could also substitute the term buzzkill , although it can be anything that destroys a pleasurable situation . For example , rain is a real buzzkill at a parade . We can also say that a negative person dampens the mood of a situation . Dampen literally means to make something wet . Similarly , we can say someone is a wet blanket if they make a situation less enjoyable . And how do we describe the actions of such a person ? We say they throw a wet blanket on a situation . “Party ” is both a noun and a verb . When people are very excited about a social event , they might say they want to party down . You can party down at a baseball game or at a restaurant or dance place . Just remember , often partying down can mean being up all night ! So who are you ? Or something else completely ? Let us know .