As happy as a clam? What the heck does that mean? After my silly Daddy called me that several times, I decided to take a look.
Several websites, such as The Phrase Finder, wiseGEEK and Know Your Phrase and describe it pretty much the same. This one comes from the Northeastern part of the United States, the coastal sections in particular. It is the shorten version of “as happy as a clam at high tide/water” which is when the clams and other mollusks are protected from most predators. At first I didn’t think that clams could be happy, but if there were ever a time, this would likely be it.
Mystery solved.
