Tongue-in-cheek
WordNet
adjective
(1) Cleverly amusing in tone
"A bantering tone"
"Facetious remarks"
"Tongue-in-cheek advice"
adverb
(2) Not seriously
"I meant it facetiously"
(3) In a bantering fashion
"He spoke to her banteringly"
WiktionaryText
Adjective
tongue-in-cheek
- not intended seriously; jocular or humorous
- He gave a tongue-in-cheek explanation of why the sky was blue, offering a theory about some primordial discount on light blue paint.