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 refers to puns or wordplay, typically with a connotation of being corny or groan-worthy — similar to "dad jokes" in English.
WORD FORMATION:
駄 (worthless, bad) + 洒落 (joke, wit, cleverness). The prefix 駄 gives it a self-deprecating or dismissive nuance.
COMMON EXPRESSIONS:
- 駄洒落を言う: to tell a pun
- 駄洒落が寒い: the pun is lame/cringeworthy
- 駄洒落を飛ばす: to crack puns (casual)
CULTURAL NOTE:
Puns are a beloved form of humor in Japan. Middle-aged men are stereotypically associated with 駄洒落, hence the near-synonym おやじギャグ (dad joke). Despite the self-deprecating name, 駄洒落 is an affectionate term and pun-telling is a social bonding activity.