I'd thought at the time he was making a joke.

He tried to answer, make a joke or something, but nothing came out.

He's making a joke about how long the light took to get here.

The king told the boy to make a joke now.

Another way out would be to change the subject by making a joke.

Making a joke, because of course he knew she'd meant work for her mother.

One almost killed himself, then tried to make a joke of it, and another told him he had done the right thing.

I came here to make a joke about this too.

You could tell he wanted to make a small joke, but decided against it.

He felt like running away or making a joke of it, but something made him hold his ground.