What does "happy as Larry" mean — and why is it funny?

informal, British and Australian

Meaning

Extremely happy and carefree.

Where it comes from

A British and Australian phrase from the 1800s. Nobody is sure who 'Larry' was, with guesses ranging from a famous boxer to an old word for excited.

Why it is funny

The humor is the mystery man at its centre. We have all cheerfully compared ourselves to Larry's joy without the faintest idea who he was or why he was quite so happy.

Used in a sentence

"Give him a sunny day and a garden to dig and he's happy as Larry."