to laugh in one's sleeve
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
See SLEEVE. To laugh on the wrong, or the other side of one's mouth. To be made to feel vexation and annoyance after mirth or satisfaction; to be bitterly disappointed; to cry.
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 laugh in one's sleeve” mean?
See SLEEVE. To laugh on the wrong, or the other side of one's mouth. To be made to feel vexation and annoyance after mirth or satisfaction; to be bitterly disappointed; to cry.
Is “to laugh in one's sleeve” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.