‘Having a laugh’…it’s so important. But what if you’re actually having a snigger? Do you know the difference?Laughing is the subject of many idioms and proverbs.
“Laughter is the best medicine.”
“Laugh and the world laughs with you.”
Laughing is a positive, joyous, light-hearted response to a joke or amusing situation and usually involves opening your mouth wide, sometimes even throwing your head back.
‘Sniggering’ generally involves laughing with your mouth closed, often with accompanying snorting noises, and is usually unkind, directed at someone that the sniggerer feels superior to.
Think of the quiet person standing behind the school bully as they make derogatory remarks to a classmate. Snigger and the world does not snigger with you.
Sniggering is also used to describe what people might do in response to a smutty joke or piece of innuendo.
'Chortling’ is fairly similar to sniggering, as the laughter is often directed at someone else’s misfortune. It often refers to a deeper, louder laugh than a snigger.
In a similar vein, ‘guffawing’ is laughing at someone’s perceived stupidity.
To 'fall about’ is to laugh so enthusiastically, you can’t stay sitting or standing.
“He told me a joke and I just fell about!”
Confusingly, the slang phrase to ‘crack up' is also to laugh hard. (Although it has another commonly-used, informal meaning, to become mentally ill.) Usually, the person who makes you laugh hard is mentioned.
“She cracked me up.”
If the individual in question does this regularly, you can say:
"She cracks me up."
Just be prepared for everyone to ask for her phone number…after all, laughter is the best medicine...and who doesn't want a dose of that?
‘Having a laugh’…it’s so important. But what if you’re actually having a snigger? Do you know the difference?Laughing is the subject of many idioms and proverbs.
“Laughter is the best medicine.”
“Laugh and the world laughs with you.”
Laughing is a positive, joyous, light-hearted response to a joke or amusing situation and usually involves opening your mouth wide, sometimes even throwing your head back.
‘Sniggering’ generally involves laughing with your mouth closed, often with accompanying snorting noises, and is usually unkind, directed at someone that the sniggerer feels superior to.
Think of the quiet person standing behind the school bully as they make derogatory remarks to a classmate. Snigger and the world does not snigger with you.
Sniggering is also used to describe what people might do in response to a smutty joke or piece of innuendo.
'Chortling’ is fairly similar to sniggering, as the laughter is often directed at someone else’s misfortune. It often refers to a deeper, louder laugh than a snigger.
In a similar vein, ‘guffawing’ is laughing at someone’s perceived stupidity.
To 'fall about’ is to laugh so enthusiastically, you can’t stay sitting or standing.
“He told me a joke and I just fell about!”
Confusingly, the slang phrase to ‘crack up' is also to laugh hard. (Although it has another commonly-used, informal meaning, to become mentally ill.) Usually, the person who makes you laugh hard is mentioned.
“She cracked me up.”
If the individual in question does this regularly, you can say:
"She cracks me up."
Just be prepared for everyone to ask for her phone number…after all, laughter is the best medicine...and who doesn't want a dose of that?
