Bachelors grin, but married men laugh till their hearts ache.

The saying sets a bachelor's grin beside a married man's much more vigorous laughter. The difference in their reactions gives the comparison its playful force without settling which way of life is better.

The laughter reaches an aching heart, an image that makes the contrast more striking. The ache can remain part of the joke without deciding whether the married man is happier or whether his laughter carries any pain.

Use it as a teasing remark when a conversation turns to the differences between single and married life. Let the contrast in their laughter carry the joke rather than presenting it as a judgment about either group.