Crack the same joke

農曆新年充滿歡樂和溫馨氣氛。有朋友長得非常像祖母，每年跟婆婆穿上一樣的新衣吃團年飯，說同一個笑話（crack the same joke）--我們是同齡雙胞胎！

Crack一字單是用作動詞，便有多個意思。To crack a joke指「開玩笑」，當下看到詼諧之處，即興說笑話。To tell a joke則是以講故事（storytelling）形式，說出笑話。例句︰We cracked the same joke to people about being identical same-aged twins over and over again, and had so much fun.（我們一遍又一遍地開同一個笑話，說我們是同齡雙胞胎，玩得很開心。）Let me tell you a joke.（讓我告訴你一個笑話。）

Crack可以描述物件「破裂」，以及引伸指「身心疲憊、神經崩潰」。例句︰The wall cracked and there was water leaking from it.（那牆壁破裂，有水從中漏出。）Overworking during the flu season is causing doctors to crack.（在流感季節工作過度正導致醫生身心疲憊。）

Crack可以解「出現問題」，但亦可以指「解決問題」。例如，Their relationship began to crack after her husband had lost his job.（她的丈夫失去工作後，他們的關係開始出現問題。The company claimed they had cracked the problem of shattered phone screens.（該公司聲稱他們已經破解了電話屏幕破碎的問題。）

（本欄逢周一、三、五刊登）