Etymology Journal ยท W
Well, slap my knee!
Meaning
- A wholesome way to express surprise or amusement. It implies that a story is so funny or shocking you have to physically react.
Cheerful, folksy
Used in a sentence
- Well, slap my knee, that is the funniest thing I have heard all day.
- Well, slap my knee, look at how fast he is running.
- Well, slap my knee, I finally finished the puzzle.
The backstory
A classic physical reaction idiom. Slapping one's knee has been a sign of laughter or sudden realization since the dawn of rural storytelling.
Heard in
The South / Midwest
Vibe check