funny adj.2
1. difficult, problematic; out of the ordinary.
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Cremorne I 20: But his ways, so funny, wrecked her, / Hopes, and played hell with her health. | |
| My Secret Life (1966) II 223: Louise got funny in her behaviour to Camille [...] and one day they had a quarrel. | |
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | Log of a Cowboy 240: Stallings sat up and yawningly inquired ‘what other locoed fool had got funny’. | |
| Arthur’s 221: Sh! [...] She might ’ear. She’s funny about that sailor-man. | |
| Cockney At Home 85: If you’re goin’ to be funny [...] I’m afraid I’ll ’ave to wollop you. | |
| ‘The Tenth Clew’ in Continental Op (1975) 10: He thought there was something funny about the way the man in it was sitting. | |
| ‘A Nose for News’ in Goulart (1967) 215: One funny move and I give it to you. | |
| House of Fury (1959) 117: As soon as somebody gets funny you got to smack ’em down. | |
| Tomboy (1952) 86: If he tries any funny stuff, he’ll get a shot in the teeth. | |
| Crust on its Uppers 127: They [...] go potty and start making some funny friends. | |
| Just Between Ourselves I i: She used to live there with her son who was a bit funny. You know, peculiar. | |
| Beano Comic Library No. 121 47: There’s something funny going on round here! | |
![[Scot]](/static/img/flags/sco.png "Scotland") | Filth 64: Quite into the video camera but went a bit funny on me when I brought out the vibrator. | |
| Urban Grimshaw 81: If Burner got funny, Sparky could terrorise him. | |
 | ‘Extras’ in ThugLit Nov.-Dec. [ebook] ‘You know, they’re saying it looks funny. [...] Like maybe it wasn't no accident’. |
2. weak, out of control.
| ‘Mulberry Mary’ in Sandburrs 10: He gets funny in his cupolo, bein’ up so high. | |
| Nobody Lives for Ever 21: He’d certainly been pulling some funny ones lately. Getting bugs over that chiseling Chicago dame [...] And then this silly trip to California. | |
| ‘Weaver’s Knot’ in Late Night on Watling Street (1969) 87: Are you all right [...] Have you just come over funny? | |
| (con. 1940s) Admiral (1968) 118: ‘He sounds funny, sir.’ ‘What do you mean, funny?’ ‘Giggling. Like a schoolgirl.’. | |
| Street Players 16: All his so-called friends have but one thought in mind, and that’s how to steal one of them whores from his stiff ass if he lets his game get funny. | |
| Way Past Cool 99: ‘Stupid,’ like ‘funny,’ could mean a lot of things that had nothing to do with intelligence. | |
| Charlie Opera 153: He got all funny on me and then he passed out. |
3. (US) sexually aroused.
| in Ozark Folksongs and Folklore (1992) I 495: Beefsteak for my breakfast, / Whiskey when I’m dry; / Pretty gals when I’m funny, / And Heben when I die. | |
| Ozark Folksongs and Folklore I 495: funny, means ‘frisky,’ horny, or ‘ornery,’ i.e., erotic. |
4. corrupt, fraudulent; of playing cards, tampered with.
| Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 21 July 11/4: The sports considered the mill ‘funny’. | |
| ‘The Poet and the Peasant’ in Strictly Business (1915) 79: G’wan and get yer funny bill changed yerself [...] G’wan wit yer stage money. | |
| Pittsburg Dly Post (PA) 20 Apr. 6/2: He was impelled to reform by the ‘spiels’ of the superintendant of the refuge [...] he has made his ‘kick-in’, wants to make a man of himself — and that [...] is ‘no funny stall’. | |
| Plaindealer (Kansas City) 15 Mar. 3: Frank A. Young advises how to forestall ‘funny’ games of any description. | |
| Little Sister 135: He had a funny practice. Went out nights with a big case of hypodermic needles. | |
| Swell-Looking Babe 126: Just don’t pull anything funny. | |
| Vice Trap 74: He laid a funny story on me, and I found out. | |
| Daddy Cool (1997) 58: There was only about two hundred dollars in the wallet, plus some funny identification. | |
![[Ire]](/static/img/flags/ire.png "Ireland") | Grass Arena (1990) 101: The law were slapping my face, asking where I got this funny fiver. |
In compounds
see separate entry.
see separate entries.
see separate entry.
(US black) strange, bizarre.
| ‘Mexicana Rose’ in et al. Life (1976) 39: I peeped your hole card, you’re a funny-time lame. | |
| ‘Honky-Tonk Bud’ in et al. Life (1976) 55: It was a beat-up cat with a funny-time hat / That looked to be five years old. | |
| ‘Harlem Transfer’ in King Black Short Story Anthol. (1972) 51: Fuck her! Funny time dressin’ slut. |
In phrases
1. to provoke, to act in an offensive manner; thus the threat don’t get funny with me!
| Chimmie Fadden 26: Say, don’t youse get funny wid me. See? | |
| Battle with the Slum 372: As a means of raising the needed funds, the club hit upon the plan of fining members ten cents when they ‘got funny’. | |
| You Know Me Al (1984) 142: He has had it in for me ever since last year when he tried to get funny with me and I says something back that stung him. | |
| Professor How Could You! 120: If any of these yaps (hicks) tries to get funny, just give him a dirty look and clam up. | |
| ‘Growler’ in Bulletin 30 June 6/2: Growler turned and glared at him. ‘I’ll come down there and push your dial in if you try to get funny with me’. | |
| Cool Customer 8: Don’t get funny, Cameron. I’m telling you that this town is fed up with your gang. [Ibid.] 25: Don’t get funny with me. | |
| Rebellion of Leo McGuire (1953) 188: You son-of-a-bitch, you talk when you’re asked a question. Get funny and we’ll give you a real softening up. | |
| Playback 46: Don’t get funny with me. | |
| Exit 3 and Other Stories 23: I’m not getting funny with you. For christsake, I ... | |
| ‘Wanted’ Only Fools and Horses [TV script] Now don’t you get funny with me Del. | |
| Powder 21: Don’t get funny with me. | |
| Devil’s Tourniquet 53: Don’t get funny with me, son. Not unless you’d like to try out a custody suite, courtesy of the local police station? |
2. to reveal that one has been offended.
| DSUE (8th edn) 437/1: C.20. |
3. to make sexual advances towards.
| (con. 1900s) Elmer Gantry 130: Don’t be such a grouch. Honest, I’m not trying to get funny with little Lulu. | |
| Felony Tank (1962) 57: ‘That Mex try to get funny with you?’ He bent the word ‘funny’ so Doug couldn’t miss the meaning. One of the jailers standing behind him snickered. |
4. (US und.) to do a corrupt deal with.
| When Corruption Was King 72: In my mind, I didn’t even consider these little payments as corruption. [...]. That wasn’t the only way to get funny with these people. [...] I could always help a judge work out a nice deal with them. |
SE in slang uses
In compounds
1. a term of derision.
| Tony Drum 49: Fork it out, Funny-Face! | |
| Spoilers 10: ’Ere cut it, Funny-face. | |
| Gas-House McGinty 183: Goodbye Funnyface. | |
| George Spelvin Chats 76: How do you like it in the White House by now, Funny-face? |
2. a term of affectionate address.
| ‘Ten Dollars – No Sense’ in Top-Notch 15 Dec. 🌐 You know, old funnyface, that there’s many a spat wearer [...] who would have copped that ten with pleasure. | |
| Yes Man’s Land 27: Listen, Funny-face, I ain’t licked yet! | |
| ‘Chattanooga Choo-Choo’ 🎵 I used to call that chick ‘funny-face’. | |
| Lovomaniacs (1973) 26: Hey there, Funny Face. |
In phrases
(N.Z.) highly amusing.
| Speaking a Silence 144: That was funny as a bit of string [DNZE]. | |
![[NZ]](/static/img/flags/nz.png "New Zealand") | Dict. of Kiwi Sl. 47/2: funny (or silly) as a piece of string very funny; often used ironically; eg ‘That toddler with her eyebrow-raising is as funny as a piece of string.’. | |
| Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. [as cit. 1988]. |
(N.Z.) very funny; often used ironically.
| Truth (Wellington) 12 Aug. 3: The man in the street says ‘it’s as funny as a box of worms’ [DNZE]. |
(Aus.) very funny.
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | (con. 1964-65) Sex and Thugs and Rock ’n’ Roll 10: He was as funny as a hat full of arseholes. Loud but not offensive. |