no laughing matter

no laughing matter

A very serious topic or situation; something that should not be treated lightly or as funny in any way. Boys, this is no laughing matter. One of you could have been seriously hurt. Termites are no laughing matter. They've been known to destroy entire homes.
See also: laugh, matter, no
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

no laughing matter

a serious issue or problem. Be serious. This is no laughing matter. This disease is no laughing matter. It's quite deadly if not treated immediately.
See also: laugh, matter, no
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

laughing matter

see under no joke.
See also: laugh, matter
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

no laughing matter

If you say that something is no laughing matter, you mean that it is very serious and not something that you should laugh or joke about. Their behaviour is an offence. It's no laughing matter.
See also: laugh, matter, no
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

no laughing matter

something serious that should not be joked about.
See also: laugh, matter, no
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

no laughing ˈmatter

something which is too serious to joke about: Trying to find a place to live at the moment is no laughing matter.
See also: laugh, matter, no
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

no laughing matter

A serious issue. This term, which is always put in this negative way—one never hears of something that is a laughing matter—dates from the sixteenth century. Playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan is quoted as having said (1793), “A joke in your mouth is no laughing matter.”
See also: laugh, matter, no
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • be no laughing matter
  • it's not funny
  • it isn't funny
  • sleeve
  • be laughing up (one's) sleeve
  • be laughing up your sleeve
  • laugh about
  • laugh about (something)
  • LMAO
  • PMSL
References in periodicals archive
But away from the cameras her love life was no laughing matter. Married to Dad's Army favourite John Le Mesurier
Real carry on in Hattie's life
Vhong's 'controversial' life is no laughing matter. Yet, the comic in him still manages to tickle our funny bone.
What people don't know about Vhong Navarro
Gareth Lind is on a quest to mine for laughs in the harsh environment of 'No Laughing Matter Land,' inspired by the paraphrased words of Emma Goldman: "If I can't laugh at it.
Gareth Lind
Film of him hammering the windscreen of a 74-year-old stroke victim's car with a metal baton while his idiot colleagues jumped on the bonnet like deranged baboons is no laughing matter.
THIN-SKIN BLUE LINE
Steve Kolowich's article, "No Laughing Matter" (2010), highlights the disconnect between information found on university and college websites and information relevant to students.
No Laughing Matter. Commentary
For Bihar cops, this contest is certainly no laughing matter!
Bihar Police's Laughter Challenge
No laughing matter I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I turned on Ceefax.
CHATROOM; The best of your emails and texts
Don't be fooled: Playing the Joker is no laughing matter. Ask American Ballet Theatre's Carlos Lopez, and he will tell you that, in fact, it's no easy part.
Debut: hijinks and jokers
While the Troubletown cartoon pokes fun at our setup, the underlying injustice in our system is no laughing matter.
Tort reform no laughing matter
His private life was certainly no laughing matter. One of his sons suffered from cerebral palsy and the other died of a heroin overdose.
Mailbox: Last laugh for Mr Showbiz
Or maybe they were convinced that religion is no laughing matter. Just maybe they were uncomfortable with the idea of joy, period, because of hard circumstances.
Eat, drink, and be merry: Jesus was no stranger to good times, and neither should we be. So tell your fellow parishioners to turn that frown upside down and sing, dance, and raise a glass--a toast to the good news!
NO LAUGHING MATTER Police in Ohio are hunting the owner of a 10ft Burmese python that swallowed a neighbour's dog.
WEIRD IN THE USA; It's just another world over the pond
IT'S no laughing matter - old-style stand-up comics such as Bob Monkhouse and Bernard Manning just aren't funny any more.
Bob's just not funny any more; (..but then again when was he?)
Richard Clarke: It is no laughing matter. Listen to this message I received while you were gone: "The freemen of this province understand that there is a quantity of tea consigned to your business by the East India Company.
THE BOSTON TEA PARTY
Unfortunately, while fire safety is no laughing matter, the length, breadth and disorganization of the material is garnering snickers from the real estate industry.
The Fire Department