laugh up (one's) sleeve

laugh up (one's) sleeve

1. To try to hide that one is laughing at someone else. Ron may seem like a nice guy, but he laughs up his sleeve whenever he's around someone he dislikes. The popular kids laugh up their sleeves every time I walk by—it's so infuriating.

2. To rejoice or be amused secretly and contemptuously, as at another's mistakes or misfortunes. Though they are feigning sympathy, I'm sure my colleagues are all laughing up their sleeves at me for being chewed out by the boss. I know it is mean spirited, but I cannot help but laugh up my sleeve when I see someone slip on the icy streets.

See also: laugh, sleeve, up

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

laugh up one's sleeve

to laugh secretly; to laugh quietly to oneself. Jane looked very serious, but I knew she was laughing up her sleeve. I told Sally that her dress was darling, but I was laughing up my sleeve because her dress was too small.

See also: laugh, sleeve, up

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

laugh up one's sleeve

Rejoice or exult secretly, hide one's amusement, as in When she tripped over her bridal train, her sister couldn't help laughing up her sleeve. This expression replaced the earlier laugh in one's sleeve, used by Richard Sheridan in The Rivals (1775): "'Tis false, sir, I know you are laughing in your sleeve." The expression, which alludes to hiding one's laughter in big loose sleeves, was already a proverb in the mid-1500s.

See also: laugh, sleeve, up

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

laugh up your sleeve

be secretly or inwardly amused.

The use of up in this expression is a relatively recent development; the phrase dates from the mid 16th century in the form laugh in your sleeve .

See also: laugh, sleeve, up

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

laugh up your ˈsleeve (at somebody/something)

(informal) be secretly amused by something: Only he knew the whole story about the money. He must have been laughing up his sleeve all along.

See also: laugh, sleeve, up

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

laugh

up/in (one's) sleeve

To rejoice or exult in secret, as at another's error or defeat.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

laugh up one's sleeve, to

To be secretly amused. This term, originally laughing in one’s sleeve, alludes to concealing mirth by hiding one’s face in the big loose sleeves of old-time fashions. It dates from the early sixteenth century and was included in John Heywood’s 1546 proverb collection. See also up one's sleeve.

See also: laugh, to, up

The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer