noun
slow-witted fellow; liar; nonsense
Archaic term for a foolish, slow-witted person or a liar; also used for the lies or nonsense they produce. Now mostly encountered in historical or rakugo contexts.
江戸時代の文献には、与太郎という言葉が愚か者を指して使われている。
In Edo-period documents, the word 与太郎 is used to refer to a fool.
あの男の話はまるで与太郎だ。
That man's story is complete nonsense.
noun
Yotaro (rakugo character)
A stock character in rakugo, often portrayed as a well-meaning but simple-minded young man. The name is used as a proper noun in this context.
See also: 落語
落語の「与太郎」は、おめでたい性格で知られている。
In rakugo, 'Yotaro' is known for his simple and cheerful personality.
The common word for 'liar'; 与太郎 carries an additional nuance of foolishness and is archaic.
The exact origin is uncertain. The kanji 与 (give) and 太郎 (common male name suffix) may have been used phonetically or as a generic name for a foolish character, later becoming a rakugo stock character.