got tickled
Got the giggles. Cracked up laughing.
Also called got so tickled, tickled.
Updated September 21, 2026
got tickled pronunciation
/GOT TIK-uld/
Meaning
Means something struck you funny and you couldn't hold it in. Often the wrong time: church, school, a serious story. Different from I'm tickled meaning pleased, or tickled to death meaning delighted. Got tickled is the laugh attack.
How folks use it
- “I got tickled at the hole in his britches and couldn't quit laughin'.”
- “We got tickled during the sermon and Mama gave us that look.”
Origin and etymology
Tickle long meant delight as well as poke ribs. Southern and Appalachian speech stretched got tickled into cracked up laughing, especially when you were supposed to stay straight-faced. Related pleased forms (I'm tickled, tickled pink, tickled to death) stayed in the same family.
Frequently asked questions
Does got tickled mean somebody poked you?
Not usually. Here it means the joke got you. Physical tickling is a different sentence.