# Where did the saying happy as a clam come from?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-saying-happy-as-a-clam-come-from/80189>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 7, 2001, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-saying-happy-as-a-clam-come-from/80189 "2001-09-07T04:11:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Badbug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Badbug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badbug)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-saying-happy-as-a-clam-come-from/80189/1 "2001-09-07T04:11:41Z")

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How did the saying “happpy as a clam” come about and what exactly does it mean?

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**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-saying-happy-as-a-clam-come-from/80189/2 "2001-09-07T04:26:45Z")

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Here is the opinion of one site

[Wordorigins.org](http://Wordorigins.org):

[http://www.wordorigins.org/wordorh.htm](http://www.wordorigins.org/wordorh.htm)

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**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-saying-happy-as-a-clam-come-from/80189/3 "2001-09-07T04:42:59Z")

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The Word Detective agrees with Markxxx

[http://www.word-detective.com/072999.html#clam](http://www.word-detective.com/072999.html#clam)

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**Author:** ![andyrose2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/278dde/32.png) [@andyrose2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andyrose2000)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-saying-happy-as-a-clam-come-from/80189/4 "2001-09-07T04:49:15Z")

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I had always assumed it was because a clam looks like it’s smiling when it’s shell is closed.