滑る

• 読み: すべる
• ローマ字: suberu
• 漢字の分解: 滑 (slip/slide) → metaphor for a joke sliding past the audience without landing
• 発音: /su.be.ɾu/

意味

To bomb or flop — describes a joke or attempt at humour that completely fails to land with the audience.

Literally meaning 'to slip or slide,' 滑る in comedy slang describes the moment a joke falls flat and gets no reaction. The metaphor captures the sensation of slipping on ice — the comedian loses their footing with the audience. It is one of the most feared outcomes in Japanese comedy culture and is used both in professional comedy discussion and everyday conversation when someone's joke doesn't land.

例文

1. あのギャグ完全に滑ったよね、誰も笑ってなかった。
2. 滑るの怖くて人前でボケられない。
3. パパのダジャレがまた滑った。

使い方ガイド

場面: friends, comedy discussion, casual conversation

トーン: critical, sympathetic

正しい言い方

• 昨日の合コンでギャグ言ったら盛大に滑った。 (I told a joke at the mixer yesterday and it totally bombed.)
• 滑っても気にしないメンタルが大事。 (Having the mental strength to not care about bombing is important.)

避ける言い方

• 本人に直接「滑ったね」は傷つけることも (Telling someone directly 'you bombed' can be hurtful — use a softer expression)

よくある間違い

• Using 滑る only for comedy — it can also describe any failed attempt at being cool or impressive
• Confusing with the literal meaning of slipping on a surface — context usually makes the comedy meaning clear

起源と歴史

From the literal meaning of 滑る (to slip/slide), metaphorically applied to comedy where a joke 'slides' past the audience without getting a laugh. Long established in Japanese comedy culture, widely used since at least the 1990s.

文化的背景

時代: 1990s+ comedy culture, mainstream

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal

地域メモ: Used across Japan. A fundamental concept in Japanese comedy culture, understood by everyone.