1.
pun, wordplay, bad joke
A humorous use of words that sound alike or have multiple meanings, often considered corny or dad-joke-like.
父は駄洒落が好きだ。
My father likes puns.
その駄洒落は寒い。
That pun is lame.
寒い here means the joke fell flat or is cringeworthy.
会議の途中で上司が駄洒落を言って、みんな困った顔をした。
The boss told a pun during the meeting, and everyone looked awkward.
駄洒落 often carries a connotation of being corny or not very funny, similar to "dad jokes" in English.
COMMON EXPRESSIONS:
- 駄洒落を言う: to tell a pun
- 駄洒落が寒い: the pun is lame/cringeworthy
- おやじギャグ: dad joke (similar meaning)
WORD FORMATION:
駄 (worthless) + 洒落 (joke, wit)