• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Language / How did the Funny Bone get its name and Where does the term Funny Bone come from?

How did the Funny Bone get its name and Where does the term Funny Bone come from?

June 17, 2020 by Karen Hill

The name funny bone for that portion of the elbow over which the ulnar nerve is drawn has never seemed appropriate to us.

To strike or be struck on that edge of bone distinctly gives rise to a tingling pain rather than to anything remotely amusing.

The American synonym, crazy bone, is more fitting.

But it has been funny bone since at least the early nineteenth century.

Barham, in “Bloudie Jacke of Shrewsberrie,” in The Ingoldsby Legends (1840), has these lines:

They have pull’d you down flat on your back,
And they smack, and they thwack,
Till your “funny bones” crack,
As if you were stretched on the rack,
At each thwack!
Good lack! what a savage attack!

Related Facts

  • Whats So Funny About Your Funny Bone?
  • What is the funny bone and why does it hurt when I bump it?
  • How Did the Funny Bone Get its Name and Why Does it Hurt So Much When You Hit it Really Hard?
  • Top 25 Inventions That Changed Our Lives Forever
  • Where does the phrase “with tongue in cheek” come from and What does it mean?
  • Why Do Bones Make Soup, Stew, and Stock Taste Better By Adding Flavor?

Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Where does the word “Counterpane” come from and What does Counterpane mean?
Next Post: What does Sombrero mean in Spanish and Where does the word “Umbrella” come from? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2020 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy