Phrasal verb
fall about
Definition
phrasal verb. to laugh a lot because you find something extremely funny.
phrasal verb. to laugh uncontrollably or excessively; typically used in British English and often followed by the preposition 'laughing'.
Examples
“We all fell about when he told that joke.”
“The audience fell about laughing as the comedian struggled to keep a straight face during the sketch.”
“The entire room fell about at the sheer absurdity of the situation, unable to maintain any semblance of professional decorum.”
Examples
simple
“We all fell about when he told that joke.”
contextual
“The audience fell about laughing as the comedian struggled to keep a straight face during the sketch.”
complex
“The entire room fell about at the sheer absurdity of the situation, unable to maintain any semblance of professional decorum.”
Usage
primarily British English; often used in the pattern 'fall about laughing'.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'crack up' or 'burst out laughing'; note that 'fall about' implies a physical loss of control, as if one is literally falling over from laughter.
Pitfall
They fell about for the joke.
They fell about at the joke.
the preposition 'at' or 'laughing' usually follows the phrase to indicate the cause of the laughter.
Phrasal verb
Particles
about
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
fall + about