What does "pleased as punch" mean — and why is it funny?

informal

Meaning

Very pleased, proud, and delighted.

Where it comes from

From the puppet character Mr Punch of the old 'Punch and Judy' shows, who crows with gleeful delight after his misdeeds.

Why it is funny

The mild humor is the slightly unsettling role model. The phrase compares your innocent happiness to that of a cackling puppet — and the cheerful bounce of the words lets everyone politely forget exactly why Punch was so pleased.

Used in a sentence

"Grandad was pleased as punch when the whole family came to visit."