Idiom
In Stitches: Origin and Meaning
Meaning
If you’re “in stitches”, you are laughing very hard or uncontrollably.
Origin
The expression “in stitches” was first used by William Shakespeare in his play Twelfth Night (1602). After playing a joke on someone, the character Maria says to her friends:
“If you desire the spleen, and will laugh yourself into stitches, follow me.”
After this, the idiom was not used very much until the 20th century but it is now a very common expression.
The expression “in stitches” was first used by William Shakespeare in his play Twelfth Night (1602). After playing a joke on someone, the character Maria says to her friends:“If you desire the spleen, and will laugh yourself into stitches, follow me.”
After this, the idiom was not used very much until the 20th century but it is now a very common expression.
Examples
“My sister’s boyfriend is really funny. We met him last night for the first time and he had us in stitches all evening.”
“We didn’t know what the strange sound coming from the bedroom was. When we went to look, we found our mum on the floor laughing. She saw something funny on TV and she was in stitches!”
Sophie: “How was the film last night?”
Peter: “Oh it was hilarious! I was in stitches from beginning to end.”
“We didn’t know what the strange sound coming from the bedroom was. When we went to look, we found our mum on the floor laughing. She saw something funny on TV and she was in stitches!”
Sophie: “How was the film last night?”
Peter: “Oh it was hilarious! I was in stitches from beginning to end.”
