noun
Refers to something one counts on or looks forward to, often with a nuance of uncertainty or reliance on future events.
当て事が外れてがっかりした。
My hopes were dashed and I was disappointed.
彼は親の遺産を当て事にして働かない。
He doesn't work, counting on his parents' inheritance.
noun
guessing game; riddle
An older or less common term for a guessing game or riddle; compare with 当て物 (あてもの).
See also: 当て物
昔の宴会では当て事をして遊んだ。
At old-time banquets, they played guessing games.
More common modern term for a guessing game; 当て事 is rarer and may sound dated.
Compound of 当て (ate, 'guess, expectation') + 事 (koto, 'thing, matter'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain.