to have the laugh of one
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To be able to make merry at another's expense, generally to that other's surprise and confusion.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to have the laugh of one” mean?
To be able to make merry at another's expense, generally to that other's surprise and confusion.
Is “to have the laugh of one” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.