It's a playful way to emphasize the extreme wetness of something. While it doesn't have a specific, historical origin, it's rooted in the everyday understanding of water and how it makes things wet.
Here's how it works:
* Humorous exaggeration: The phrase plays on the absurdity of saying something is "wetter than something that's already wet." This creates a humorous effect that emphasizes how wet the object in question is.
* Universal understanding: Everyone understands what it means to be wet. This makes the idiom relatable and funny.
Example:
"The rain was coming down so hard, the streets were wetter than a wet sponge."
While there isn't a specific, historical origin for this phrase, it's a great example of how language can be used creatively to make a point and make people laugh.