Really; factually • Often a question asked when one hears something astonishing or doubtful
[first form 1914+, second 1880+; the earlier form no kid is found by 1873]
Idioms and Phrases with no joke
no joke
Also, no laughing matter. A serious issue, as in Missing the last flight out was no joke, or This outbreak of flu is no laughing matter. The first term dates from about 1800, and the variant from the second half of the 1500s.