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standing joke

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standing joke

a subject that regularly and over a period of time causes amusement whenever it is mentioned. Uncle Jim's driving was a standing joke. He used to drive incredibly slowly. Their mother's inability to make a decision was a standing joke in the smith family all their lives.

See also: joke, standing

standing joke

Something that is always funny even though it is often repeated. For example, Mary's "Dennis who?" when her husband is mentioned is a standing joke around here. This idiom employs standing in the sense of "established" or "regular," a usage dating from the mid-1500s.

See also: joke, standing