Home › Glossary › Letter O

Obscene jest

Device
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A lewd or offensive joke often relying on taboo or shocking imagery for humor

Detailed Definition
An obscene jest is a humorous statement or poetic excerpt containing explicit, sexual, or vulgar references, often aiming to shock or provoke laughter. While sometimes offensive, in historical contexts such jests were part of comic traditions like fabliaux, serving as social satire or bawdy entertainment.
Example
Example in poetry:
Obscene jest like a medieval fabliau line of sexual exposure; Limerick with explicit language; Caricatures of body functions used in poetic jesting; Canterbury Tales crude punchlines
Additional Notes
Explicitly sexual jest rendered in poetic structure; found in bawdy traditions; should be carefully presented for appropriateness in modern contexts.
Also Known As
Lewd quip Sexual jest Vulgar joke Indecent wisecrack Fescennine jest
Skip to main content