laugh (redirected from laughing like a drain)

not be a barrel of laughs (informal)

to not be enjoyable. 'He's a bit serious, isn't he?' 'Yeah, not exactly a barrel of laughs.'

See also: barrel

not be a bundle of laughs (informal)

to not be entertaining or enjoyable. She's not a bundle of laughs, your cousin. The funeral wasn't exactly a bundle of laughs.

See also: bundle

be a laugh a minute (informal)

to be very funny and entertaining. You know what Mark's like - he's not exactly a laugh a minute. 'A two-hour meeting with Nigel Owen? I bet that was fun.' 'Oh, it was a laugh a minute.'

See also: minute

be laughing all the way to the bank (informal)

if someone is laughing all the way to the bank, they have made a lot of money very easily, often because someone else has been stupid. If we don't take this opportunity, you can be sure our competitors will and they'll be laughing all the way to the bank.

See also: all, bank, way

be laughing on the other side of your face (British, American & Australian, informal, American & Australian, informal)

if you say someone who is happy will be laughing on the other side of their face, you are angry about the thing that is making them happy and think that something will soon happen to upset them. You'll be laughing out of the other side of your face if you fail your exams.

See also: face, other, side

be laughing up your sleeve

to laugh at someone secretly, often in an unkind way. He persuaded people to believe in him and all the time he was laughing up his sleeve at them. (often + at)

See also: sleeve

be no laughing matter

if a subject is no laughing matter, it is serious and not something that people should make jokes about. Haemorrhoids are all very funny when other people have them, but if you get them yourself, it's no laughing matter.

See also: matter

a belly laugh

a loud laugh which cannot be controlled. It's not often you hear the kind of jokes that give you a real belly laugh.

See also: belly

Don't make me laugh. (informal)

something that you say when someone has suggested something that you think is not at all likely to happen. 'You never know, Pete might help out.' 'Pete? Help out? Don't make me laugh!'

See also: don't

have the last laugh

to make someone who has criticized or defeated you look stupid by succeeding at something more important or by seeing them fail. They fired her last year but she had the last laugh because she was taken on by their main rivals at twice the salary.

See also: last

not know whether to laugh or cry

to be extremely upset by something bad that has happened. Then they announced that my flight was delayed for ten hours. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

See also: cry, know, whether

laugh in someone's face

to show someone that you do not respect them and do not think their ideas are important. He asked them to put out their cigarettes but they just laughed in his face.

See also: face

laugh like a drain (British & Australian)

to laugh very loudly. I told her what had happened and she laughed like a drain.

See also: drain, like

laugh something/someone out of court

to refuse to think seriously about an idea, belief or a possibility. At the meeting, her proposal was laughed out of court. (usually passive) Anyone who had made such a ludicrous suggestion would have been laughed out of court

See also: court

[laugh/scream/shout etc.] your head off

to laugh/scream/shout etc. very much and very loudly. He laughed his head off when he read the letter.

See also: head, scream, shout

a laughing stock

someone who does something very stupid which makes other people laugh at them. I can't cycle around on that old thing! I'll be the laughing stock of the neighbourhood. (usually + of)

See also: stock

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have the last laugh

to succeed when others thought you would not. The company fired her last year but she had the last laugh because she was hired by their main rival at twice the salary.

Usage notes: sometimes used with get: She said I'd never make it to college, but I got the last laugh.

See also: last

a laugh a minute

very funny and entertaining. Paul's clever screenplay makes this new comedy a laugh a minute.

Usage notes: often used humorously to mean the opposite: Any meeting with a school principal has to be a laugh a minute.

See also: minute

laugh all the way to the bank

to be pleased about the profit earned from doing something. Team owners complain about the latest TV deal, but in fact they are laughing all the way to the bank. After we sold the house, my wife cried and I laughed all the way to the bank.

See also: all, bank, way

laugh at someone

to ridicule someone. A lot of kids laughed at me because of the way I dressed, but it never bothered me.

laugh at something

to show you think something is ridiculous. Cynthia laughs at the suggestion she's doing this job for the money.

laugh off something

to act as if something is not important to you. It's not easy to laugh off an insult. She criticizes his work constantly but he doesn't get angry, he just laughs it off.

no laughing matter

something serious that people should not make jokes about. A wound on your foot is no laughing matter when you're a diabetic.

See also: matter

not know whether to laugh or cry

to be very upset by something ridiculous. When they announced that my flight was delayed for ten hours, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

See also: cry, know, whether