Etymology Journal ยท G
Grinning from ear to ear
Meaning
- Used to describe someone who is extremely happy or proud. It paints a picture of a smile so wide it reaches across the entire face.
Happy, wholesome
Used in a sentence
- She walked into the room grinning from ear to ear after getting the job offer.
- The kid was grinning from ear to ear while riding his new bike.
- I saw him grinning from ear to ear when his team finally won the championship.
The backstory
This has been a common idiomatic expression in English since the mid-1800s. It is a simple, descriptive way to capture pure joy.
Heard in
Nationwide
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