comedy improv segment; one-liner quiz show
Modern TV/entertainment term: a segment where comedians or guests improvise funny answers or one-liners based on a given theme, often in a quiz-like format.
last act of the day; finale comic dialogue
Historical vaudeville/music hall usage: the final performance or comic dialogue of a program. Now largely replaced by sense 1 in modern contexts.
The improv comedy segment on that variety show is always hilarious.
Coming up with a funny answer in an improv comedy quiz is surprisingly difficult.
At the vaudeville theater, the last act of the day was the finale comic dialogue.
Standard modern spelling, though the kanji are ateji (phonetic).
Rarely used kanji form.
Originally from 大切り (おおぎり), meaning 'big cut' or 'finale', referring to the last act in a traditional vaudeville program. The modern spelling 大喜利 is ateji, likely chosen for its auspicious kanji meaning 'great joy and profit'. The shift to the current 'improv comedy' sense came from TV variety shows.