Given the task definition and input, reply with output. In this task, we ask you to rewrite a sentence in simple English without changing its general meaning. Essentially, you want to make the sentence easier to read by using simpler words, utilizing more straightforward sentence structures, and omitting non-essential information etc.

A running gag , or running joke , is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling .

A running gag is an humorous joke or reference that is used several times in a work or series of works .