Sometimes, people like to joke around to have fun or lighten the mood. In the USA, kids, parents, and even teachers use playful words to make others laugh. These words often don’t mean exactly what they say. They’re called idioms. Idioms are fun phrases that have special meanings. You can hear them at school, during family dinners, or even in TV shows.
When people are being silly or teasing in a nice way, they often use idioms to describe what they’re doing. It helps make talking more interesting. Learning these idioms can help you understand jokes and enjoy conversations more. Let’s take a look at some common idioms Americans use when they’re joking around.
Idioms for Joking Around
1. Pulling your leg
Meaning: Joking or teasing someone in a playful way.
Example Sentence:
• I didn’t win the lottery—I was just pulling your leg.
• Don’t believe him, he’s pulling your leg.
Other ways to say: Kidding, messing around
Fun Fact/Origin: This phrase started in the 1800s and may have come from street thieves in London who tripped people to rob them, but now it just means joking.
Usage: Used when someone tricks another person in a friendly or silly way.
2. Crack up
Meaning: To laugh really hard.
Example Sentence:
• That movie made me crack up.
• He cracked up at the funny joke.
Other ways to say: Laugh out loud, burst out laughing
Fun Fact/Origin: “Crack” was once slang for a joke. “Crack up” became popular in the USA in the 1900s.
Usage: Used when someone finds something very funny.
3. No kidding
Meaning: Used when you’re surprised or want to show you agree.
Example Sentence:
• No kidding? I didn’t know that!
• This pizza is so good—no kidding!
Other ways to say: Seriously, Really
Fun Fact/Origin: “Kid” has meant joke since the 1800s. Americans use “no kidding” a lot to show surprise.
Usage: Often used to react when someone says something surprising.
4. In stitches
Meaning: Laughing so hard it hurts.
Example Sentence:
• That comedian had us in stitches.
• The whole class was in stitches after the prank.
Other ways to say: Laughing a lot, couldn’t stop laughing
Fun Fact/Origin: It first showed up in old English plays. The idea is that laughing too much can make your side hurt like being poked with a needle.
Usage: Used when something is really funny.
5. Goof off
Meaning: To waste time by joking or playing instead of working.
Example Sentence:
• Stop goofing off and do your homework.
• We goofed off all day at the park.
Other ways to say: Mess around, fool around
Fun Fact/Origin: The word “goof” means silly mistake. Americans use “goof off” a lot in school and work settings.
Usage: Used when someone avoids doing work by being silly or playful.
6. Bust a gut
Meaning: To laugh really hard.
Example Sentence:
• I almost busted a gut watching that show.
• He busted a gut when he heard the joke.
Other ways to say: Laugh like crazy, laugh your head off
Fun Fact/Origin: This phrase paints a silly picture of laughing so hard it hurts your stomach.
Usage: Used when someone can’t stop laughing because something is really funny.
7. Kid around
Meaning: To joke or play in a light way.
Example Sentence:
• Stop kidding around and get serious.
• We were just kidding around during lunch.
Other ways to say: Joke around, mess around
Fun Fact/Origin: “Kid” was used as a verb in the USA starting in the early 1900s to mean “joke.”
Usage: Used when people are not being serious and just having fun.
8. Laugh your head off
Meaning: To laugh a lot.
Example Sentence:
• I laughed my head off at that cartoon.
• She laughed her head off when he slipped on the ice.
Other ways to say: Crack up, lose it
Fun Fact/Origin: This is a funny exaggeration Americans use to show something was very funny.
Usage: Used when someone finds something super funny.
9. Joking aside
Meaning: Let’s be serious now, after making jokes.
Example Sentence:
• Joking aside, you did a great job.
• Joking aside, we need to focus on the test.
Other ways to say: Seriously, All jokes aside
Fun Fact/Origin: This phrase is often used when switching from fun talk to serious talk.
Usage: Used right after making a joke when someone wants to say something serious.
10. Play a prank
Meaning: To trick someone in a funny way.
Example Sentence:
• We played a prank on the teacher with fake spiders.
• He loves playing pranks on April Fools’ Day.
Other ways to say: Pull a prank, trick someone
Fun Fact/Origin: Pranks have been a big part of American school life, especially on April 1st.
Usage: Used when doing a silly trick to surprise or laugh at someone in fun.
11. Laugh up your sleeve
Meaning: To laugh quietly so others don’t notice.
Example Sentence:
• He laughed up his sleeve when the teacher slipped.
• She was laughing up her sleeve at her friend’s funny mistake.
Other ways to say: Chuckle secretly, giggle quietly
Fun Fact/Origin: This comes from old times when people tried to hide their laughter by covering their mouths with their sleeves.
Usage: Used when someone is trying to hide that they find something funny.
12. Make a wisecrack
Meaning: Say a quick, funny, or smart joke.
Example Sentence:
• He’s always making wisecracks during class.
• That wisecrack got everyone laughing.
Other ways to say: Joke, make a funny comment
Fun Fact/Origin: “Wisecrack” has been part of American speech since the 1800s, often used by comedians.
Usage: Used when someone says a clever joke out loud.
13. Monkey business
Meaning: Silly or dishonest behavior.
Example Sentence:
• The teacher told them to stop the monkey business.
• There’s always monkey business at recess.
Other ways to say: Fooling around, mischief
Fun Fact/Origin: This American idiom compares silly actions to how monkeys behave.
Usage: Used when kids are being playful or doing something sneaky.
14. Take it with a grain of salt
Meaning: Don’t take it too seriously; it might be a joke.
Example Sentence:
• He’s always joking, so take it with a grain of salt.
• I heard she’s moving, but take it with a grain of salt.
Other ways to say: Don’t believe it all, be careful
Fun Fact/Origin: This saying dates back to ancient times and became popular in the USA to mean not believing everything.
Usage: Used when someone says something that might be a joke or not fully true.
15. Act the fool
Meaning: To behave in a silly or foolish way.
Example Sentence:
• He acted the fool at the party and made everyone laugh.
• Don’t act the fool in front of the principal.
Other ways to say: Be silly, clown around
Fun Fact/Origin: “The fool” was a funny character in old plays who made people laugh by acting silly.
Usage: Used when someone tries to be funny by acting goofy.
16. Split your sides
Meaning: Laugh so much it feels like your sides hurt.
Example Sentence:
• We split our sides laughing at that video.
• I almost split my sides at the joke he told.
Other ways to say: Laugh a lot, crack up
Fun Fact/Origin: This exaggeration shows how hard laughing can feel like it hurts your body.
Usage: Used when something is extremely funny.
17. Play it for laughs
Meaning: Do something just to make people laugh.
Example Sentence:
• He played it for laughs when he tripped on purpose.
• The show plays it for laughs every time.
Other ways to say: Try to be funny, act silly
Fun Fact/Origin: This is often used about TV shows or performances in the USA.
Usage: Used when someone acts or speaks only to be funny.
18. Wise guy
Meaning: Someone who jokes or talks back in a smart way.
Example Sentence:
• Don’t be a wise guy with the teacher.
• He’s a real wise guy, always with a comeback.
Other ways to say: Smart mouth, joker
Fun Fact/Origin: This term was used in old gangster movies and now means someone who’s always trying to be clever.
Usage: Used when someone is being funny in a tricky or bold way.
19. Have a laugh
Meaning: To enjoy something funny.
Example Sentence:
• We had a laugh watching the silly video.
• Let’s have a laugh before bedtime.
Other ways to say: Share a joke, enjoy a funny moment
Fun Fact/Origin: This is a simple, common phrase in the USA and UK.
Usage: Used when friends or family enjoy something funny together.
20. Cut up
Meaning: To act silly or make jokes, especially in a group.
Example Sentence:
• He was cutting up during lunch and got in trouble.
• The kids always cut up on the school bus.
Other ways to say: Goof off, act silly
Fun Fact/Origin: This American term is used in schools when kids are being loud and funny.
Usage: Used when someone is joking around and making others laugh.
21. Comic relief
Meaning: Something funny that breaks a serious moment.
Example Sentence:
• He was the comic relief during the boring speech.
• That silly part in the movie was great comic relief.
Other ways to say: Funny break, light moment
Fun Fact/Origin: This term comes from plays where a funny part helped ease tension. It’s still common in American movies.
Usage: Used when something funny happens to lighten the mood.
22. Laugh riot
Meaning: A person or thing that’s very funny.
Example Sentence:
• That show was a laugh riot.
• Her jokes made the sleepover a laugh riot.
Other ways to say: So funny, hilarious
Fun Fact/Origin: Americans often use this to describe comedy shows or funny people.
Usage: Used when someone or something causes lots of laughs.
23. Play the clown
Meaning: To act silly to get attention or laughs.
Example Sentence:
• He always plays the clown in class.
• She played the clown to cheer up her friends.
Other ways to say: Act silly, joke around
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the classic circus clown who wore funny clothes and made people laugh.
Usage: Used when someone acts funny to entertain others.
24. Tickled pink
Meaning: Very amused or pleased.
Example Sentence:
• Grandma was tickled pink by our funny dance.
• He was tickled pink when the puppy licked his face.
Other ways to say: Very happy, full of joy
Fun Fact/Origin: This American phrase uses “pink” to show light happiness or laughter.
Usage: Used when someone is really happy because something funny or nice happened.
25. Tell a joke
Meaning: Say something funny on purpose.
Example Sentence:
• He told a joke at the dinner table.
• I love when Dad tells jokes before bedtime.
Other ways to say: Share a funny story, crack a joke
Fun Fact/Origin: Telling jokes is a big part of American culture, especially in families and on stage.
Usage: Used when someone tries to make others laugh with a short funny story.
Quiz: Idioms for Joking Around
Instructions: Choose the best answer that shows what each idiom means. Each question has one correct answer.
Question Key
1. What does “pulling your leg” mean?
a) Helping someone with their shoes
b) Teasing someone in a playful way
c) Telling someone to run faster
2. If someone is “cracking up,” what are they doing?
a) Breaking things on purpose
b) Falling asleep
c) Laughing really hard
3. What does “goof off” mean?
a) To do extra homework
b) To waste time by playing around
c) To help clean up
4. What does it mean to “laugh your head off”?
a) To be very serious
b) To laugh a lot
c) To yell at someone
5. When someone says, “joking aside,” what are they doing?
a) Starting a joke
b) Continuing a joke
c) Getting serious after joking
6. What is “monkey business”?
a) A company that sells bananas
b) Silly or sneaky behavior
c) Playing with animals
7. What does it mean to “act the fool”?
a) Be very smart
b) Act silly to make people laugh
c) Stay quiet and serious
8. If something is “a laugh riot,” what does that mean?
a) It was very loud
b) It was super funny
c) It was about a fight
9. What does “play a prank” mean?
a) Clean your room
b) Do something sneaky to make someone laugh
c) Paint a picture
10. If someone says “tickled pink,” what are they feeling?
a) Very sad
b) A little tired
c) Very happy or amused
Answer Key
- b) Teasing someone in a playful way
- c) Laughing really hard
- b) To waste time by playing around
- b) To laugh a lot
- c) Getting serious after joking
- b) Silly or sneaky behavior
- b) Act silly to make people laugh
- b) It was super funny
- b) Do something sneaky to make someone laugh
- c) Very happy or amused
Wrapping Up
Idioms for joking around make conversations more fun. In the USA, people love using silly sayings to make others laugh. Learning these can help you understand jokes at school, at home, or on TV. Whether you’re cracking up with friends or just kidding around, these phrases can make talking more fun.
Use these idioms to bring a smile to someone’s face. Just remember—jokes are better when they’re kind and not hurtful.
