This lesson is suitable for intermediate-level learners. After listening, test your knowledge with our quiz.
Learning notes
Examples of everyday expressions for talking about things or people that make you laugh:
• That video had me in stitches!
• It made me laugh out loud.
• It had me laughing so much.
• She’s a bit of a character!
• They‘re always doing something hilarious.
• He tells the silliest jokes. Classic!
• I’m just joking!
• I’m only kidding!
• I was just teasing you.
• I’m just having a laugh.
• You crack me up every time.
• That bloke at the party is a hoot.
• She’s always a laugh.
• I can’t stop giggling.
• I burst out laughing.
Colloquial expressions:
To have a laugh means to have fun or enjoy yourself.
A bit of a character means someone or something is funny or unusual in an interesting way.
Joking / I’m just joking means saying something funny and not serious.
Are you joking? means you are surprised, or something is funny or unbelievable.
I’m only kidding means not serious; just being funny.
I was just teasing you means playfully making fun of someone.
Crack someone up means to make someone laugh a lot.
Bursting out laughing / Burst out laughing means to suddenly start laughing out loud
Vocabulary:
To get something is to understand it.
To be in stitches is to laugh really hard.
To be hilarious is to be very, very funny.
Classic as an exclamation in friendly informal speech means typical; just what you expect.
A hoot is someone or something that is very funny.
A laugh is someone who is amusing or funny.
To giggle means to laugh quietly.
A good one is a phrase you can use to congratulate someone on a being funny
Transcript:
(Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript)
SBS acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country and their connections and continuous care for the skies, lands, and waterways throughout Australia.
You’re sitting on the couch, and something funny happens—a video, a joke, or a pet doing something strange.
You laugh, of course. Laughter is a universal language, and even if the joke is different from what you’re used to—because Australian humour can be a little different—it still connects us and brightens your day.
I’m Josipa. In this episode, we will practise phrases we can use to talk about funny moments that make you laugh and feel good. It’s amazing how laughter can make your day better.
Now, let’s hear Allan and Claire share a moment that had them laughing out loud.
Allan
That video of the cat trying to jump into the box had me in stitches!
Claire
Haha, that cat’s a bit of a character! Always doing something hilarious. Classic.
Allan
I was just joking about trying it myself… I’d probably crash straight into the floor!
Claire
You crack me up every time, Allan!
How did you go with that dialogue? Was it clear? I have to admit, I didn’t get everything at first, that means I didn’t understand everything, but that’s okay. I’ve looked at all the phrases, and now I can explain them. Allan said,
That video of the cat trying to jump into the box had me in stitches!
The video of a cat had Allan in stitches. If somebody or something has you in stiches, it means it makes you laughing so hard it hurts. , as if you needed actual stitches to hold you together. You could also say,
Claire
It made me laugh out loud.
Or
Allan
It had me laughing so much.
And that means the same thing as saying, “It had me in stitches.” Next, Claire said,
Claire
Haha, that cat’s a bit of a character! Always doing something hilarious. Classic.
Let’s hear the first phrase once again,
Haha, that cat’s a bit of a character!
Here, Claire is saying that she thinks the cat is funny and has a unique or unusual personality. We can use the phrase ‘A bit of character; to talk about someone or something that behaves in a funny, interesting, or unusual way.
You can use this phrase for people, pets, or even things. It’s a friendly, positive way to say someone or something is amusing and memorable. Can you think of anyone you know that you would describe as ‘a bit of a character?’
Claire also said,
Always doing something hilarious. Classic.
Hilarious means very, very funny.
‘Classic’ means something that is typical, iconic, or exactly what you would expect from a person or situation. It’s often used when a behaviour or moment is funny, memorable, or very characteristic of someone. For example, you could say:
He tells the silliest jokes—classic!
Meaning that telling silly jokes is exactly what you expect from him. Or
That reaction was classic!
Meaning it was so typical or characteristic that it’s almost iconic.
So, in the dialogue, Claire is saying the cat’s behaviour is funny and typical . Next Allan said,
I was just joking about trying it myself… I’d probably crash straight into the floor!
Allan was just joking. When someone is just joking, they are saying or doing something funny and not serious. It’s a way to make people laugh or tease them in a friendly way.
If you are not serious and just trying to be funny, you can say:
I’m just joking!
If someone says something that surprises you so that you can hardly believe them, you can say:
Are you joking? I can’t believe it!
In English, after we have made a joke , there are lots of different ways to reassure people that we were not serious . Here are a few:
- Relax, I’m only kidding!
- I was just teasing you.
- I’m just having a laugh.
All of these mean you’re not serious—you’re just being funny to make someone laugh or feel happy. At the end of the dialogue, Claire said,
You crack me up every time, Allan!
To ‘crack someone up’ is an informal way to say ‘make someone laugh a lot.’ You can use it when you are talking with friends, family, or anyone who makes you laugh.
In informal English, there are some fun ways to talk about funny people or moments. Let’s start with a couple you might hear often.
First, ‘a hoot.’ If someone or something is a hoot, they’re really funny.
That man at the party is a hoot—he had everyone laughing.
The movie was a hoot.
Next, ‘a laugh.’ This is another way to say that someone is funny or amusing.
She’s always a laugh—can’t stop giggling when she’s around.
To giggle means to laughing quietly , often because something is funny, cute, or slightly embarrassing.
Now, let me ask you something. Do you enjoy watching comedy, like stand-up shows? Stand-up comedy is when a comedian stands on stage and tells jokes or funny stories to make people laugh.
I love stand-up because I enjoy those moments when I just can’t help laughing. When that happens, I often burst out laughing—than means I suddenly laugh out loud because something is really funny.
Let’s say you watched a stand-up show, and the next day you’re talking to your friend about it. You might say something like:
I burst out laughing when the comedian talked about his parents.
Paul Nicholson and Lily O'Sullivan voiced the characters of Allan and Claire, and Professor Lynda Yates was our educational consultant.
