half joke

Noun

idiomatic

(idiomatic) A statement which contains elements of both jest and seriousness.

Japanese Meaning

冗談と真面目さの両面を併せ持つ発言 / 冗談交じりの真面目な発言

He said he'd quit if the project failed, but it sounded like a half joke.

彼はプロジェクトが失敗したら辞めると言ったが、それは冗談半分、本気半分のように聞こえた。

Sense（1）

(idiomatic) A statement which contains elements of both jest and seriousness.

"Well, let's wait. Perhaps the shooting will die out."

"Maybe the soldiers and settlers will die out with it," I say, another half-joke.

half jokes

（ plural ）