Origin of the verb 茶化す？


Does anyone know the origin of the verb 茶化す, which translates as 'to tease, to
make fun of, to kid'? Is is somehow related to "breaking teacups"?




[Here](http://senpou.cocolog-nifty.com/sousen/2008/04/post_5cfa.html) is an
article on the etymology of 茶化す.

Excerpts from the main line of the article are translated like:

> "The keyword to understand "茶化す" is a China's copper trumpeter called
> Charmera or **チャルメラ** : Portuguese tyaramela (etymology is _calamus_ meaning
> reed in Latin). The origin of oboe, one of wind instruments. Although it was
> used for the accompaniment music of street performing, it seemed that the
> strange tone that had not been heard in Japan until then sounded
> irresponsible for the audience. "茶{ちゃ} _tea_ " in "茶化す" is mere an _ateji_
> ([当て字]{あてじ}, a Chinese character used as a phonetic symbol rather than for
> its meaning) and it has been used also in a word like "ちゃらんぽらん" that
> expresses a irresponsible feeling.

[Here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9dgsjsg_LI) you can hear the sound of
Chalmera that every Japanese knows.

[Here](http://www.nihonjiten.com/data/254221.html) is another article on 茶化す.
I quote the whole explanation as follows.

> **[茶化す]**  
>
> 冗談｛じょうだん｝のようにしてからかう、冷｛ひ｝やかす、誤魔化｛ごまか｝すことをいう。「茶化」は当｛あ｝て字｛じ｝で、「ふざける」の意｛い｝の「ちゃる。ちゃり（戯（ザレ）の転｛てん｝）」からとする説｛せつ｝、「茶」に語尾｛ごび｝「かす」を付｛つ｝けて動詞｛どうし｝にしたとする説｛せつ｝などがある。ちなみに、馬鹿｛ばか｝にする、冷｛ひ｝やかすことを「茶（ちゃ）にする」という。なお、「おちゃらかす」は、「おひゃらかす」と「ちゃかす」が合｛あ｝わさってできた語｛ご｝とされる。

