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As Jerry Seinfeld says: " _Jokes that require an explanation are never funny._
"

So, I want to do a wordplay on the pronunciation of `紐` = `日も`. I've delivered
it as such:

> typical set-up:  
>  日本の文化はけっこう尊敬してます。じょじょに慣れてきてます。そのため、この前自然が多い所で、俳句ができた:  
>  あめのひも、かぜのひも、くつのひも;  
>  (if written) 雨の日も、風の日も、靴の紐;

I've gotten nothing but blank stares. I explain and get perfunctory smiles.

I've tried pronouncing "日も" with a rising "も" and "紐" with a falling "も", but
it is not working.

Is it possible to frame this wordplay to sound funny?  
Does it need to be set-up differently?  
Is it a pronunciation problem?
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2016-02-16T15:52:33.873
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2016-02-17T01:34:22.903
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question
word-choice pronunciation jokes
How can I frame this ダジャレ to sound funny?
It will never sound like a haiku because it doesn't follow the 5-7-5 pattern.
Do you know how Japanese haiku are read?

What's worse, it lacks the "story". 靴の紐 was delivered all of the sudden, and
we can't understand how it relates to the other part. If there were enough
context, this theoretically would work as a joke. Oh, [I found a real
example](http://21happy.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-97.html):

> 初めてのベックマンを履き、歩いた。  
>  (略)  
>  しかし、少し歩いていると徐々に足が痛くなってきた。  
>  (略)  
>  しかし、ここであきらめるわけにはいかない。  
>  私はいつか聞いたことがあるのだ。  
>  「レッドウイングのブーツは履けば履くほど自分の足になじみ、  
>  形を変え、最高のブーツになる」という話を。  
>  それからも私はベックマンを履き倒した。痛みをこらえ、歩いた。  
>  **雨の日も風の日も靴の紐。**  
>  ほどけた紐を結び直し、己を鼓舞しまた歩いた。

So the author was spending many days worrying about his shoes. That makes the
bold line a meaningful pun.

Without any context, I don't think I can make people laugh with this. But
maybe _you_ can do so [if you perform very well taking advantage of being a
foreigner](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frFUdx_PMgA). A professional native
comedian may be able to turn this into a good gag in various ways (don't ask
me how).

* * *

A 紐/日も "pun" would theoretically work on haiku/waka, too.

> 唐衣 **日も** 夕暮れになるときは返す返すぞ人は恋しき

This is an actual waka from
[古今和歌集](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokin_Wakash%C5%AB) which uses a
[掛詞](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kakekotoba) on 紐+結う+暮 and 日も+夕暮.
[Explanation here](http://blog.zaq.ne.jp/nandemo-circle/article/2722/). (well,
yeah, 掛詞 is not intended to be a laughable joke.)
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2016-02-17T01:27:52.817
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2016-02-17T01:34:22.903
2016-02-17T01:34:22.903
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answer