to laugh in someone's sleeve
- idiom
- Offensive
:
burlarse a escondidas de
- He didn't react, but secretly he was laughing in his sleeve at his rival's blunder.
Examples
-
Although she kept a straight face, she was clearly laughing in her sleeve during the meeting.
-
He often laughs in his sleeve at others' failures.
-
They tried to hide it, but everyone could tell they were laughing in their sleeves at the situation.
-
Don't laugh in her sleeve when she makes a mistake!
-
Despite appearing sympathetic, he was actually laughing in his sleeve at her misfortune.
-
When his opponent slipped during the speech, he couldn't help laughing in his sleeve.
-
She managed to keep a straight face, but inside, she was laughing in her sleeve at his mistakes.
Synonyms
456
2.0
To make fun of someone in a mean way to show they are silly
237
2.0
To laugh quietly to yourself when something is slightly funny
27
4.0
To laugh quietly in a partly hidden way at something rude
3
1.9
To make a quiet sound because something is funny so you do not disturb others
Feel secretly pleased and make fun of someone without showing it
How Open
1
1.0
2
1.0
237
2.0
3
7.4
- Offensive
Surface Forms
Morphology
laugh + in + someone's + sleeve
There is a clear literal link—putting a laugh "in" a sleeve suggests hiding or suppressing amusement—so a learner who knows 'laugh' and 'sleeve' could plausibly infer a meaning of secret or suppressed laughter. However, the phrase is idiomatic/partly metaphorical (and somewhat dated) with the precise nuance of taking quiet pleasure in someone else's mistake not fully predictable without exposure, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
The idiom laugh in someone's sleeve comes from the image of a person covering their mouth with a sleeve to hide a laugh. So, it now means 'to be quietly amused' or 'to secretly enjoy someone else's mistake'.