駄洒落

• Reading: だじゃれ
• Romaji: dajare
• Kanji breakdown: 駄 (da) — inferior, worthless; 洒落 (share) — wit, stylish wordplay
• Pronunciation: /da.dʑa.ɾe/

Meaning

A bad pun; a corny or groan-worthy play on words. Typically refers to a pun that is deliberately or unintentionally weak, eliciting groans rather than genuine laughter.

A noun formed from 駄 (inferior, worthless) and 洒落 (a clever play on words, wit). The 駄 prefix downgrades the elegance of 洒落 into something lowbrow. Saying 駄洒落を言う (to make a bad pun) is a common collocation. Culturally, middle-aged men are stereotypically associated with this style of humour in Japan.

Examples

1. 部長は会議のたびに駄洒落を飛ばすが、誰も笑わない。 The department head cracks a bad pun at every meeting, but nobody laughs.
2. 子供の頃は父の駄洒落がおかしくて仕方なかった。 When I was a child, I couldn't help finding my father's bad puns funny.
3. 駄洒落のセンスは笑いのセンスとは別物だと思う。 I think a sense of bad puns is a separate thing from a genuine sense of humour.

Usage Guide

Context: humour, everyday conversation, workplace small talk

Tone: light-hearted

Origin & History

From 駄 (da — worthless, inferior) and 洒落 (share — wit, stylishness, wordplay). 洒落 alone is a sophisticated pun or stylish remark; adding 駄 deflates it into something cheap or clumsy.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal