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You are here: Home / Language / How Did the Funny Bone Get its Name and Why Does it Hurt So Much When You Hit it Really Hard?

How Did the Funny Bone Get its Name and Why Does it Hurt So Much When You Hit it Really Hard?

May 2, 2020 by Karen Hill

When we strike our elbow, although it’s no laughing matter, we say that the tingling sensation is from our funny bone.

In fact, the prickling discomfort comes from striking the ulnar nerve, and the term funny bone comes from some scholar with a sense of humor who turned the whole thing into a pun during the nineteenth century.

The ulnar nerve passes over the end of the humerus, which inspired the term “funny bone.”

The ulnar nerve is the largest unprotected nerve in the human body, which is probably why it hurts to much when struck, or hit really hard.

The pain usually goes away after a few minutes, unless of course, you’re a wuss.

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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.

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