Where "Off Like a Bride's Nightie" Comes From
The phrase jokingly plays on the supposed eagerness of a newly married couple on their wedding night — the bride's nightie coming off very quickly indeed. wordhistories.net places the earliest recorded use in 1969, though some sources date it as far back as 1960. It spread quickly through horse racing and everyday speech alike, describing anything that starts or departs with sudden and dramatic speed.
Like many Australian similes of this era, it works by applying a vivid, slightly risqué domestic image to a situation that has nothing to do with the original — the point is the speed and enthusiasm, not the specifics. It sits in the same tradition as "off like a shot" and "off like a rocket," but with the distinctively Australian instinct to find a more particular, more personal, and more amusing comparison.
Source: wordhistories.net — "meaning and origin of the phrase 'like a bride's nightie'"
"The moment the bell rang, the kids were off like a bride's nightie."
How Aussies Actually Use It
"Off like a bride's nightie" is used for any fast start or hasty departure, whether it's a sprinting racehorse or a mate bolting for the door.
It's a cheeky, good-humoured phrase, typically used to add colour to an otherwise ordinary description of speed.
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