it’s a joke, Joyce, phr. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

it’s a joke, Joyce phr.

[from a repeated the tag line in ‘The Wilsons’, a regular sketch appearing in Graham Kennedy’s popular television variety show, In Melbourne Tonight, 1957–1970]

(Aus.) var. on usu. ‘I’m only joking’.

[1968		F. Parson The Wilsons (NFSA ID 466037) [TV script] George: Joyce, what’s this stuff? Joyce: Fish patty. George: Looks more like Little Pattie … Little Pattie, you know, the singer … That was a joke, Joyce.].
1988		L. Johansen Dinkum Dict. 220/3: joke Joyce! a consoling exclamation to someone who missed the intended humour in something you said.
1989		W. Harmer [bk title] It’s A Joke Joyce: Australia’s Funny Women .
1993		Canberra Times 25 Jan. 28/1: She gets evicted and so moves in with him. It’s not supposed to make sense, it’s a joke, Joyce.
2005		D. Broderick Ferocious Minds 128: When they say elementary particles such as quarks have charm and strangeness, it’s a joke, Joyce.
2011		M. Knox The Life 12: So I tell her to laugh. About my conspiracy theories she just lapped up. ‘It’s a joke, Joyce.’ She shakes her head. ‘My name’s not Joyce.’.
2016		L.M. Walsh English, the Aussie Way n.p.: Joke Joyce - there’s not really a big spider on your back.