Laughing Stock

[Martin2]

Hi,

Just a quick question. Does anyone here know where the phrase "laughing stock" comes from? E.g "I was a laughing stock today", "He was the laughing stock of the whole company" etc.

I have read it comes originally from a Shakespeare play, but what did he initially mean by it?

Does this actually refer to stocks people were put in during this kind of time period and tickled? Were these types of stocks known as a laughing stock(s) ?

I really get so turned on when people use this phrase as the connotations of those words always make me think of tickled feet in stocks.

 

[coloman]

The online edition of the Webster-Merriam Dictionary defines the term Laughing Stock as an object of ridicule. Hope this helps you out but I also hope this doesn't spoil your fantasy interpretation of this term.

 

[Paper#Boy]

The online edition of the Webster-Merriam Dictionary defines the term Laughing Stock as an object of ridicule. Hope this helps you out but I also hope this doesn't spoil your fantasy interpretation of this term.

that doesn't explain the origins of the term though, just the modern dictionary definition. I think almost everybody who speaks english would know what the meaning is already but the more intresting thing is where does the term actually originate from ?

i'm not saying that Martin's fantasy interpretation is correct but who knows ?

 

[Paper#Boy]

The "laughing stock" appears to related to the concept of a person in stocks, being a source of amusement in a most public and undignified way

just one of the interpretations i found when i looked on google, makes sense i think but it's not necessarily anything related to tickling the person in the stocks though.

btw - that wasn't quoted from a tickling site ! lol ....