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it's a joke, Joyce

(Australia, informal) That was a joke, so don't take it seriously.

Documented since 1960s1960sBoomerhistorical82 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
🇦🇺 Australian & NZ slang
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Born ~1960 · no dated citations yet
1960BornToday, 2026
Boomer / counterculture eraSee decade cohort →

Definitions

Australia
#1·Apr 27, 2026AUS

(Australia, informal) That was a joke, so don't take it seriously.

Origin: Slight alteration of "That was a joke, Joyce," catchphrase of George Wilson (played by Graham Kennedy) spoken to his wife Joyce (Rosie Sturgess) in The Wilsons, a segment featured regularly on Kennedy-presented show In Melbourne Tonight in the 1960s. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents

"it's a joke, Joyce" means: That was a joke, so don't take it seriously.. This is informal slang, common in casual speech, texting and social media, but not appropriate for school work, applications or professional settings. There is no real cause for concern in itself; it is everyday peer vocabulary. If your child uses it, a light comment about audience and register is usually enough — no need to escalate. Context, more than the word, tells you whether to follow up.

For ESL learners

"it's a joke, Joyce" means: That was a joke, so don't take it seriously.. Register: informal slang, fine in casual conversation, texting and social media but not in academic essays, business writing or formal speech. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.

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For specific readers

"it's a joke, Joyce" means: That was a joke, so don't take it seriously.. This is informal slang, common in casual speech, texting and social media, but not appropriate for school work, applications or professional settings. There is no real cause for concern in itself; it is everyday peer vocabulary. If your child uses it, a light comment about audience and register is usually enough — no need to escalate. Context, more than the word, tells you whether to follow up.

Why is this section here?

Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.

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Australia

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🇦🇺About Australian & NZ slang slang

Aussie and Kiwi vocabulary — bogan, daggy, brekkie, sheila, bach, jandals — the whole Antipodean lexicon, including outback dialect, surf and beach culture, and Sydney/Melbourne street slang.

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