running joke

American  

noun

1. a joke or humorous allusion used recurrently in a play, film, television skit, etc., for a cumulative comic effect.

2. a subject, reference, remark, etc., that is a continual source of humor.

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Example Sentences

But Avril's granddaughter Fiona said Avril would watch the folk parade online from breakfast to dinner and often say things such as "when we go to Philadelphia" or "when I see my Mummers" as a running joke.

From BBC

It was a running joke at the commissioner’s Super Bowl news conference — first Paul Tagliabue, then Roger Goodell — that I would stand and ask a question about when the NFL would return to Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times

"Who isn't in Australia?" has become a running joke in my hometown as more and more young people decide to brave the move, seeking a "better" life.

From BBC

"It actually became a kind of running joke within government that people would always find a way to bring it back to this conversation."

From BBC

Dude, it became a running joke on the set how loose my pants were.

From The Wall Street Journal