Tom told him the truth before the joke went any further.

This joke however did not go well with the public at home.

As the old joke goes, I wouldn't start from here.

She smiled at him as if they had some private joke going between them.

Apparently the jokes would only go one way around here.

There was a famous joke going around town at the time.

"And then again she may not," goes the running joke after each mention of her name.

That is all very well, but as the joke goes, some are more equal than others.

The judge lost a little of his patience, and said the joke had gone far enough.

The operation was a success, but the patient died, as the old joke went.