Said of something that is worn out, also figuratively referred to a person

He's a very good stand-up comedian and, even if some of his jokes are a bit dated, he's still a great entertainer

È un bravissimo cabarettista e, anche se alcune sue barzellette mostrano un po' la corda, è sempre molto divertente

Their long-standing partnership is starting to wear thin and I think that, sooner or later, they will split up and go their separate ways

Il loro sodalizio, vecchio di anni, comincia a mostrare la corda. Penso che prima o poi ognuno se ne andrà per la sua strada

Talk shows, that used to be very popular, are starting to show their wear. They have become very predictable and are often quite offensive and end up with verbal assaults

I talk-show in TV, una volta seguitissimi, cominciano a mostrare la corda perché sono ormai prevedibili e spesso sgradevoli per offese e litigi