Funny Idioms: List of 25 Best Funny Idioms You May Not Know

Funny idioms are phrases or expressions that are amusing and humorous. They are used to add a touch of humor or levity to a conversation. Below, we’ve listed a few more examples of funny idioms.

Funny Idioms

What Are Funny Idioms?

An idiom is a phrase or expression that has a figurative meaning, which is different from its literal meaning. Idioms are common in everyday language and are used to express a specific meaning or emotion in a more creative or fun way. Funny idioms, in particular, are idioms that are humorous or amusing. They are often used to make a joke or to lighten the mood in a conversation.

There are many different funny idioms in the English language, and new ones are being created all the time. Some funny idioms are based on puns or plays on words, while others are derived from stories or situations that are amusing.

Common Funny Idioms

Here is a list of common funny idioms:

• Break a leg

This is a way of wishing someone good luck, especially before a performance or presentation. It’s funny because it’s the opposite of what you would normally want to happen!

• Cat’s pajamas

This means something or someone that is excellent or impressive. It’s funny because it’s a playful way of saying that something is the best.

• Barking up the wrong tree

This means to pursue the wrong course of action or to chase a mistaken goal. It’s funny because it refers to a hunting dog that is barking at the base of the wrong tree because it has mistaken the scent of its prey.

• Curiosity killed the cat

This means that being too curious or nosy can get you into trouble. It’s funny because it’s a play on the phrase “curiosity killed the cat,” which is usually used as a cautionary tale.

• Paint the town red

This means to go out and have a wild or lively time. It’s funny because it suggests that you are literally painting the town red with paint.

• Let the cat out of the bag

This means to reveal a secret or surprise. It’s funny because it refers to the old trick of selling a pig by putting it in a bag and pretending it’s a cat. If you let the cat out of the bag, the secret is revealed and the trick is ruined.

• Tie one on

This means to get drunk or intoxicated. It’s funny because it suggests that you are literally tying something onto yourself, like a backpack or a jacket.

List of Funny Idioms

Funny Idioms and their Meanings

Here is a list of commonly used funny idioms in English:

1. As Cool as a Cucumber

Very calm and composed and untroubled by stress

2. Hold your Horses

Wait a moment

3. Kick the Bucket

To die

4. Blue in the Face (Color Idioms)

Weakened or tired after trying many times

5. A Storm in a Teacup

A big fuss made about something of little importance

6. Bob’s your Uncle

It’s as simple as that

7. Head in the Clouds

Living in a fantasy

8. Dead as a Doornail

Completely dead or unusable

9. A Piece of Cake

Something very easy to do 

10. Heart in your Mouth

Extremely frightened or anxious

11. Do a Devon Loch

To fail when you are very close to winning

12. Do a Runner

To leave a place quickly in order to escape trouble or to avoid paying for something

13. Enough to Cobble Dogs with

A surplus of anything

14. Fall Off the Back of a Lorry

You acquired something that was probably stolen, or you are trying to sell something that’s stolen or illegitimate

15. Hairy at the Heel

Someone who is ill-bred, dangerous or untrustworthy

16. Cat’s Arse

To describe the facial expression adopted by a scorned woman

17. For Donkey’s Years

Very long time

18. All Talk and No Trousers

All talk but no action

19. When Pigs Fly

Whatever you are discussing will never happen

20. Cat Got Your Tongue

Something you say to someone when they will not speak

21. Have a One-Track Mind!

If someone has a one-track mind, they spend most of their time thinking about one subject

22. Chew the Fat

To chat or gossip

23. The Lights are On, but Nobody’s Home

About a stupid person

24. To have Van Gogh’s Ear for Music

To be done deaf

25. Use Your Loaf

Use your head, think smart

Examples of Funny Idioms

• She looks efficient and as cool as a cucumber.
• Just hold your horses, Bill! Let’s think about this for a moment.
• If I take your medicine, I’ll definitely kick the bucket.
• You can telephone her till you’re blue in the face but she’ll never come.
• Their arguments were like a storm in a teacup.
• Press here and Bob’s your uncle! It’s disappeared.
• The treaty may be considered to be as dead as a doornail.
• The exam was a piece of cake.
• Sure he’ll pay for the drinks when pigs fly!
• The old man would chew the fat with anyone who would join him.
• Going to be a useful boy, so long as you use your loaf.

Funny Idioms in English | Infographic

List of Best Funny Idioms 

Funny Idioms in English

Last Updated on January 10, 2023