Hitting your “funny bone” is a universally recognized experience, but it’s anything but humorous. It’s a sharp, tingling pain that shoots down your arm, leaving you momentarily incapacitated. So, Why Called Funny Bone if it’s not a bone and definitely not funny? Let’s explore the science behind this misnomer.
The truth is, the “funny bone” isn’t a bone at all. It’s actually the ulnar nerve, one of the three major nerves that travel down your arm. This nerve runs along the inside of your elbow, close to the skin’s surface, and rests against the humerus, the bone in your upper arm.
This location makes the ulnar nerve particularly vulnerable. When you hit your elbow just right, you’re actually compressing the ulnar nerve against the hard humerus bone. This sudden pressure temporarily disrupts the nerve’s function, leading to the characteristic tingling, numbness, and pain that radiates down your forearm and into your hand. It’s similar to the feeling of your foot “falling asleep” when you sit in an awkward position for too long.
So, where did the name “funny bone” originate? There are two prevailing theories. The first suggests a play on words. The humerus bone, located in the upper arm near the “funny bone,” sounds very similar to the word “humorous.” This phonetic similarity may have led to the humorous nickname.
The second theory proposes that the name derives from the peculiar, almost electric shock-like sensation experienced when the nerve is struck. The unusual feeling, combined with the location in the often-bumped elbow, might have been deemed “funny” in an ironic or quirky sense. While the sensation isn’t humorous in the moment, the unexpected and unusual nature of the feeling might have contributed to the name.
Regardless of the true origin, the term “funny bone” has become a common expression for this specific area of the elbow and the unpleasant sensation of hitting it. While the experience itself isn’t funny, understanding the science behind it can certainly be enlightening. Knowing that you’re actually impacting the ulnar nerve and not a bone helps explain the unique and often intense sensation. So next time you accidentally hit your “funny bone,” remember the real culprit: the vulnerable ulnar nerve and its unfortunate proximity to the humerus.
