"Root's already made that sour joke," said the Colonel, far too great a man to have a sense of humor.

The threat to disinherit was one of his slightly sour, self-mocking jokes; he never for a moment deceived himself about the extent of his power.

They followed his gaze to find the sour joke.

I invented it all for a sour joke.

I mustn't let the sour joke be on me.

A sort of sour joke.

But it is only a sour joke that Islanders fans chant the name of a recent owner sent to prison for financial fraud.

Steve was right in front of me in line, and curiously withdrawn; I couldn't get a rise out of him with even the sourest joke.

At the Stone Street garage, the security check has become something of a sour joke among regular customers.

The police department here is a sour joke, and crime is out of control.