in-joke

English

WOTD – 14 October 2020

Etymology

From in (“having familiarity or involvement with somebody”, adjective) + joke.[1]

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɪnˌd͡ʒəʊk/
Audio (RP) (file)
(General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɪnˌd͡ʒoʊk/

Noun

in-joke (plural in-jokes)

Synonym of inside joke (“a joke that is understood or meant to be understood only by certain people who are aware of the details”)
Synonym: private joke
Well, it’s a bit of an in-joke, but Fred has been going to start that diet “tomorrow” for the last few months.
We have an in-joke; whenever someone sings a wrong note, they wipe the mistake off their music with an obvious gesture.
- 2018, James Lambert, “Setting the Record Straight: An In-depth Examination of Hobson-Jobson”, in International Journal of Lexicography, volume 31, number 4, DOI:https://doi.org/10.1093/ijl/ecy010, page 494:
  Perhaps these quotations arose from some in-joke of Yule’s, but whatever the case the lexicographical worth of these citations is dubious.
- 2018 November 14, Jesse Hassenger, “Disney Goes Viral with an Ambitious, Overstuffed Wreck-It Ralph Sequel”, in The A.V. Club‎, archived from the original on 21 November 2019:
  Intentionally or not, the movie [Ralph Breaks the Internet] makes Disney feel as enormous as the internet itself, containing a series of micro-targeted idiosyncrasies and in-jokes that are nonetheless controlled by a cultural monolith (whether that's Disney or whatever massive corporation owns your local ISP).

Usage notes

An in-joke can carry the connotation of being slightly sinister, particularly if the subject of the humour is unaware that people find it funny. However in situations where everyone involved is in the in group, they are harmless – if slightly confusing to anyone not party to the joke.

Derived terms

in-jokey

Translations

synonym of inside joke — see inside joke

References

“in-joke, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1976.