MAKING A MOCKERY AND MAKING FUN

Continuing the “joke” theme, to “make a mockery” of something means to make it appear ridiculous.

 Examples of use:

 “A Hull fisherman says an angler who cheated his way to winning a continental competition hosted in East Yorkshire has made a ‘mockery’ of the whole event.”

 “While MPs make a mockery of us as they can’t come to the right decision, the property market is ticking along regardless.”

 “Mr Ruskell has said the decision to grant planning permission for 85 luxury homes on a swathe of farmland south of the A921 ‘makes a mockery’ of local democracy.”

 We also use the phrase “make fun of” to describe unkind teasing, laughing at or joking about someone. This generally done deliberately, while making a mockery of something does not generally intend or achieve amusement.

 e.g. “A Ryanair attempt to make fun of British Airways on Twitter after a flight mistakenly went to Edinburgh instead of Düsseldorf has backfired.”

 “But the increasingly bizarre events at Westminster are too serious to be made fun of.”

 “Teacher gets short haircut after little girl was made fun of for hers”

 Photo credit: ERIC SALARD