funny phiz
- noun
- Archaic
:
mueca divertida
- His funny phiz was enough to make even the strictest teacher smile.
Examples
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Look at that funny phiz he just made!
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She made a funny phiz that made everyone laugh.
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He made a funny phiz at the children, who burst out laughing.
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She wore a funny phiz during the meeting to lighten the mood.
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He made a funny phiz at the children, who burst out laughing.
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His funny phiz was enough to make even the strictest teacher smile.
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She wore a funny phiz during the meeting to lighten the mood.
How Funny
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a humorous facial expression' is directly and compositionally derived from 'funny' (humorous) + 'phiz' (face), following a common adjective + noun pattern. Although 'phiz' is colloquial and regionally British, the combination is fully transparent (comparably to 'funny face'), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Funny phiz may come from old British slang where phiz meant 'face', and cartoon artists often drew people with silly faces. Imagine a picture of someone pulling a strange look—that drawing became a funny phiz, so today the phrase means 'a humorous or amusing facial expression'.