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Glite Dictionary
seriously folks

seriously folks

9.5
A phrase that shows the speaker is serious after a joke
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : en serio, amigos
  • You might laugh, but seriously folks, climate change is a real threat.

Examples

  • The show was fun, but seriously folks, please drive safely on your way home.

  • Seriously folks, let's focus on the main point of the discussion now.

  • Hey, seriously folks!

  • Listen up, seriously folks!

  • Seriously folks, we need to take this issue seriously if we want to make a difference.

  • Seriously folks, I appreciate the jokes, but this matter is very important to us.

  • Seriously folks, I know it's been a fun event, but we must discuss the safety measures.

Synonyms

seriously
vsseriously folks
∞ 1.6

In a way that shows you mean what you say

is used after a joke to change tone toward sincerity
honestly
vsseriously folks
691 1.1

Said when you want to stress that you really mean what you say

is used to shift from playful talk to a sincere comment
in earnest
vsseriously folks
32 4.8

To do something with serious effort and not as a joke

is used informally to change tone after a joke rather than state effort
no kidding
vsseriously folks
  • Informal
10 6.0

To show you really mean what you say

is used to move from a light remark into a sincere point

Antonyms

just joking
  • Informal
13 3.7

Said to show something is funny and not serious

How Serious

no kidding
  • Informal
10 6.0
seriously folks
  • Informal
9.5
just joking
  • Informal
13 3.7

Surface Forms

seriously folks main

Morphology

seriously + folks

The phrase combines 'seriously' (not joking) with 'folks' (people/audience), so its function—addressing listeners and signaling a shift to sincerity or a more serious topic—is directly inferable from the constituent meanings and common discourse patterns. This compositional, literal relation makes the expression immediately understandable to a B1 learner who knows both words.

Etymology

Seriously folks comes from speakers and performers who call their audience 'folks' and then add seriously after a joke to show they now mean what they say. That's why people use it to 'shift to a serious topic' or to 'show they are sincere'.