Editor's Corner

The other day, my husband said, “Good morning, how’s it going?” My response was, “I’m happy as a clam.” Then I walked into the back yard and thought, “Eww. That’s gross. Why would we say we’re as happy as a slippery, slimy mollusk? I have never seen a clam that looked particularly happy or sad.”

“Editrix,” I said to myself, “It’s high time for you to figure out why you compare yourself to a clam when you’re joyful.”

So here we are.

As I mentioned, “Happy as a clam” means really happy, in case you haven’t heard the phrase before. I decided to read a bit about it on Phrase Finder. When I opened the page, I saw this:

Wait a second! It’s a smiling clam. Okay, that makes slightly more sense. You don’t usually look at them at this angle: side view, flat on the beach.

Then the article mentions that “happy as a clam” is only the first part of the idiom. The full phrase is “I’m “as happy as a clam at high water.” When the tide is in and the water’s high, you can’t see them—neither can the seagulls, osprey, and other critters that love to have clam dinners.

The phrase has been attributed to folks in the Northeast U.S. where the idiom and clams are familiar. It goes back as far as the 1800s.

I think what I appreciate most about this article is the photo. That right there says “happy” to me, with the little clammy smile. Unfortunately, I’ve seen some very unhappy clams here as the seagulls pick them up, fly in the air, and drop them several times, until they crack.

Now I understand why the high tides are made for good times.

Kara Church | Technical Editor, Advisory | Technical Publications

Pronouns: she/her | Call via Teams | jackhenry.com

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