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Meaning of the joke is on someone | Babel Free

Phrase CEFR C2

Definitions

Someone is the butt of a joke or is experiencing a negative outcome, especially if that person was trying to make someone else the butt of the joke or subject them to the negative outcome.

idiomatic

Examples

“As only a small per cent of the dealers use the word "Leghorn," and the ones who do try to use it can't tell a Leghorn from a mixed breed or from many other breeds, the most of the joke is on someone else.”
“Like Cole, we see through the penny-trick instantly, but the joke is on us, and on Malcolm himself, because we fall for the same joke on the level of the film as a whole.”
““Guess what? The joke's on you because I'm going places, getting out of this nowhere town.””
“"Well, the joke's on you because I'm resigning from the gymnast team. And if I resign, so will my friends, particularly when I tell them why."”

CEFR level

C2
Mastery
This word is part of the CEFR C2 vocabulary — mastery level.

See also

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