joke

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a joke

An object of ridicule, contempt, or dismissal, especially due to being inadequate, defective, or not genuine. Their customer service is a total joke. I was on the phone for nearly two hours just to be told that they couldn't identify the problem and wouldn't help me any further. I spent nearly $800 on this phone, and it stopped working after just a month. What a joke! Their offense would be pretty formidable if their quarterback weren't such a joke.
See also: joke

a practical joke

A mischievous trick typically involving some physical action or object intended to make someone look or feel foolish. We hid a rubber snake in the fridge as a practical joke so that it would scare Mom or Dad when they went in for something to eat.
See also: joke, practical
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

joke (with someone) (about someone or something)

to quip with someone about someone or something; to make verbal fun with someone about someone or something. I was joking with Tom about the performance. I joked about Andy with Fran.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

joke

tv. to tease someone; to make fun of someone. Everybody was joking my roommate because of her accent.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
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References in periodicals archive ?
The respondents' social network choices and descriptions of joking patterns revealed four stereotypical overchosen and over-rejected group members.
In the rare instances when they are included in the joking pattern they are customarily the butt of the joke.
Everyone laughed, but no one liked the comment--even though they knew that Bob was joking. After he left, several employees quickly pointed out the obvious: With his income, Bob didn't have to worry about making ends meet after retirement.
It may be that benign bureaucrats are included in joking because group members perceive them as powerless to do anything about the jokes--despite their formal authority.
The reason for the offense is different in this case, however: The benign bureaucrat's joking is resented because he or she is not respected as a productive member of the group.
The engineers let her know--to her face--that they do not like her constant joking about them.
Solid citizens enjoy special joking privileges; they can joke about group members, even in their presence, without offending anyone.
Everyone feels comfortable joking with Carla, and, being a typical solid citizen, she can take a joke.
The other group members recognize that the novice is powerless and nonthreatening, and they freely inlcude him or her in the pattern of joking relationships.
Members of the diverse groups participating in this study understood the importance of joking on the job.
Our data suggest that studying joking behavior is an important way of viewing other aspects of group interaction, such as friendship and leadership patterns.
The fact that Bob, the arrogant executive, is excluded from joking on the job tells us that his subordinates feel isolated from their boss.
No laughing matter: patterns of humor in the workplace
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