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You are here: Home / Language / Where Did the Phrase “Happy As a Clam” Come From and What Does the Expression Mean?

Where Did the Phrase “Happy As a Clam” Come From and What Does the Expression Mean?

April 28, 2020 by Karen Hill

“Happy as a clam” seems to assume that the mollusk is indeed happy.

This notion was probably inspired by the observation that if a clam is held sideways and looked at straight on it appears to be smiling.

However, the expression is incomplete.

It began as “happy as a clam at high tide.”

High tide is, of course, the time when clams can feed.

High tide is also a time when clams are safe from clam diggers which, obviously, would make them very happy.

The word clam is derived from the same Scottish word that means “vise” or “clamp.”

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  • How Was Clam Chowder Invented?
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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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