running gag

running gag (plural running gags)

1. An ongoing joke, one that is regularly repeated or continued.

   Synonym: running joke

   • 2014 June 26, A. A. Dowd, “Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler Spoof Rom-com Clichés in They Came Together”, in The A.V. Club‎^[1], archived from the original on 7 December 2017:

     Some groaners are converted into running gags, as when Joel and his brother (Max Greenfield) get in a duel of parting, one-last-thing-before-you-go affirmations.

• → German: Running Gag

• running gag on Wikipedia.Wikipedia