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

“Mom and Grandma Mae had this running joke about the perfect mom. Whenever Grandma Mae would get mad at Mom, Mom would say the perfect mom would put the house on roller skates so the kids wouldn’t have to get out of bed to get to school, stuff like that.”

From Literature

“It was a running joke in the house that I was a bad listener because my ears were filled with wax. But when I looked at my DNA, I found out that my ancestors lived in the desert. The Sahara. And earwax traps sand before it gets inside the ear canal and injures the eardrums. There’s a good reason why my body works like that. Nobody has to choose their life based on their ancestry, but it’s useful to know why it works the way it does.”

From Literature

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