Why is it funny?
English is full of phrases that make native speakers smile and leave everyone else puzzled. Here we explain what each one means, where it came from, and — the part nobody else bothers with — exactly why it is funny.
Funny of the day
across the pond
On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean — used by British and American speakers to refer to each other's country.
Why it is funny →The funniest phrases
The ones where the joke really lands.
- a few sandwiches short of a picnic A humorous way of saying that someone is a little foolish, eccentric, or not quite all there.
- across the pond On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean — used by British and American speakers to refer to each other's country.
- it's not rocket science A way of saying that something is not difficult and should be easy to understand.
- like herding cats Describes a task that is nearly impossible because the people or things involved refuse to cooperate or move together.
- like watching paint dry Extremely boring; dull beyond endurance.
- not the sharpest tool in the shed A gentle, jokey way of saying that someone is not very intelligent.
- nutty as a fruitcake Very eccentric, foolish, or crazy.
- the lights are on but nobody's home A jokey way of saying that someone is not paying attention, or is not very bright.
Also pretty funny
Good for a chuckle, if not quite a belly laugh.
- a bee in your bonnet To be preoccupied or obsessed with a single idea, and to keep bringing it up.
- a busman's holiday Time off that you spend doing the same thing you do at work anyway.
- a curate's egg Something that is partly good and partly bad, yet politely described as if the good parts make up for the rest.
- a damp squib Something that is a disappointing failure, especially after being expected to be exciting.
- a frog in your throat A temporary hoarseness or croak in your voice, usually from a cold or from not having spoken in a while.
- a snowball's chance in hell No chance at all; absolutely no hope of success.
- a storm in a teacup A great deal of anger or worry about something that is really very small and unimportant.
- all gone pear-shaped Said when a plan or situation has gone badly wrong.
- all hat and no cattle Describes someone who talks big or looks the part but has nothing real to back it up.
- bless your heart Literally a kind blessing — but in the American South it is often a sugar-coated way to call someone foolish, pitiful, or plain wrong.
- Bob's your uncle And there you have it; the task is done and it was easy. Said at the end of a simple set of instructions.
- break a leg Good luck — especially said to a performer before they go on stage.
- butter wouldn't melt in your mouth Describes someone who looks completely innocent and harmless — often with a hint that they are not.
- clean someone's clock To beat someone decisively — either in a physical fight or, more loosely, in a contest or argument.
- cool as a cucumber Very calm and relaxed, especially in a stressful situation.
- donkey's years A very long time.
- go bananas To become wildly excited, angry, or out of control.
- happy as Larry Extremely happy and carefree.
- higgledy-piggledy In a confused, disordered, jumbled-up way.
- high as a kite Extremely excited or euphoric; also used of someone strongly affected by drink or drugs.
- hold your horses Wait; slow down; do not be so hasty.
- kick the bucket To die.
- knee-high to a grasshopper Very small or very young; often used of someone remembered from early childhood.
- like a deer in the headlights Frozen with fear, shock, or confusion, and unable to react.
- mad as a box of frogs Completely crazy, in a chaotic and usually harmless or endearing way.
- madder than a wet hen Extremely angry and irritated.
- mutton dressed as lamb An older person, usually a woman, dressed in a style meant for someone much younger.
- put a sock in it A blunt request for someone to stop talking or be quiet.
- spend a penny A polite, old-fashioned way of saying you are going to use the toilet.
- talk the hind legs off a donkey To talk endlessly; to be extremely, exhaustingly talkative.
- the best thing since sliced bread A jokey way of praising something as a wonderful new invention or idea.
- the whole kit and caboodle Everything; the entire collection of things, with nothing left out.
- when pigs fly Never. A sarcastic way to say that something will not happen.
- wouldn't say boo to a goose Describes a person who is extremely shy, meek, or timid.
Other common phrases
58 everyday idioms that are useful to know but not exactly comedy — still explained in full. Browse them →