funny business

American

noun

Informal.

improper or unethical conduct, as deception or trickery.

He won't stand for any funny business here.

funny business Idioms

Deceit, treachery, unethical conduct. For example, We suspect their outfit has been up to some funny business. [Colloquial; c. 1880]

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Hmm, any other funny business out there worth looking into …?

From Slate • Sep. 20, 2025

Wendy Liebman is a veteran of the funny business.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2024

But let's not have any more funny business.

From Salon • Jun. 14, 2023

“As long as nobody does any funny business — you’ve got to watch it till the very end.”

From New York Times • Apr. 27, 2023

“What exactly do you mean by funny business, Coach?”

From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023