Knee-slapper
n.joyful, energeticplayful
What it means
A joke or story that provokes loud, hearty laughter.
Reach for it when giving folksy informal praise to broad effective humor
Grandpa saved his best knee-slapper for the end of the picnic.
Choose between these
6- playful
belly laugh
the bodily response itself is being named
not when Belly laugh is the laughter, not the joke that caused it.
- playful
rib-tickler
old-fashioned comic praise suits the voice
not when Rib-tickler is equally dated and may sound forced.
- everyday
hilarious joke
the broad audience needs an immediately clear phrase
not when The phrase states the reaction but loses the folksy physical image.
- everyday
one sharp line lands with force
not when Zinger can be insulting and need not produce warm laughter.
- professional
material reliably entertains a broad audience
not when A crowd-pleaser may be moving or spectacular without being funny.
- literary
howler
a very funny joke or glaring mistake is intended
not when Howler is ambiguous and can mean an embarrassing error.
Said against
3- groaner
- dud
- tearjerker
It naturally appears in
3- real knee-slapper
The story about the runaway hat was a real knee-slapper.
- old knee-slapper
She revived an old knee-slapper for the family reunion.
- reliable knee-slapper
His reliable knee-slapper ended the fundraiser on a laugh.
Usage notes
Knee-slapper is folksy and dated; it usually suits broad, uncomplicated humor rather than subtle wit.