proverb · Words worth keeping
That's where the laugh comes in.
That's where the laugh comes in.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The phrase points to the part of a situation that makes it amusing. It signals a payoff or irony rather than explaining the joke on its own.
Example
A storyteller reaches the unexpected detail that changes the audience’s understanding of the earlier events.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Where invites attention to a particular detail, while laugh identifies the expected response. Without the surrounding story, the exact humour remains unknown. A useful reading notices how the phrase directs an audience to the contrast or turn that matters. It need not imply everyone should find the same thing funny.
When to use it
Use it to identify a humorous payoff in a supplied context.
Keep in mind
The phrase alone does not reveal the joke or guarantee an audience’s response.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English