In stitches

Origin

Imagine a person collapsing in uncontrollable laughter, gasping for breath, their side aching with a sharp, sudden pain—a 'stitch.' This very physical sensation, akin to a muscle cramp or a piercing jab, has been known to accompany extreme mirth for centuries. The term 'stitch' itself has described such a localized, acute pain since at least the 16th century. By the mid-19th century, this common bodily experience was vividly transformed into the idiom 'in stitches,' capturing perfectly the exquisite agony and joy of laughter so profound it leaves one physically incapacitated, as if sewn up by the force of their own amusement.