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3. be a barrel of laughs

be a barrel of laughs

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be a barrel of laughs

To be fun, funny, and pleasant. Often used sarcastically to indicate that someone is unpleasant or not enjoyable to be around. A: "Is Mr. Grant always cranky?" B: "Oh, yeah—he's a real barrel of laughs!" I always have so much fun when Katie's around—she's a barrel of laughs!

See also: barrel, laugh, of

not be a barrel of laughs

  (informal)

to not be enjoyable 'He's a bit serious, isn't he?' 'Yeah, not exactly a barrel of laughs.'

See scrape the barrel

See also: barrel, laugh, of