
ProverbHuman Nature
English origin
They laugh the loudest who have least to lose.
Meaning: Those with nothing at stake can afford uninhibited mirth; real vulnerability silences laughter.
Origin: Recorded in A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, an undated collection published in London by Whittaker & Co. around 1880 and credited to Thomas Preston. Its earlier history hasn't been traced.
Explore another collection: Idioms
Colorful expressions from dozens of languages, with their word-for-word translations.
- big fish in a small pond A person who is considered important primarily because the place or setting is small.
- black sheep An outcast.
- bull in a china shop Insensitive to delicate situations; to be so clumsy that one breaks things inadvertently.
Keep exploring