謎(なぞ)かけ

A traditional form of Japanese wordplay that follows the pattern 'X とかけて Y と解(と)く。その心(こころ)は Z' (X and Y have something in common — the connection is Z). The humor relies on puns (駄洒落(だじゃれ)) or unexpected double meanings. It is closely associated with 落語(らくご) (comic storytelling) and variety shows.

Format

• Standard pattern: 「AとかけてBと解(と)く。その心(こころ)は？」(What do A and B have in common? The connection is...)
• The answer typically involves a homophone or word with multiple meanings

Common collocations

• 謎(なぞ)かけを出(だ)す: to pose a riddle
• 謎(なぞ)かけの答(こた)え: the answer to a riddle
• 謎(なぞ)かけに答(こた)える: to answer a riddle

Related words

• 謎々(なぞなぞ): riddle (general) — broader term for any riddle, especially children's riddles
• 駄洒落(だじゃれ): pun; bad joke — the wordplay mechanism that 謎(なぞ)かけ often relies on
• 落語(らくご): comic storytelling — the traditional art form where 謎(なぞ)かけ is frequently performed