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[![saint oniisan chapter
11](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Cmwbu.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Cmwbu.jpg)

In this chapter Buddha got cold, so Jesus tried to cook something for him. So
he came up with a miso soup, and a joke. Or so it seems. But I don't
understand this joke. "Only God knows God's miso soup". Is this a pun?


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question
japanese-language saint-oniisan
"Only God knows God's miso soup". Is this a pun?


**Yes, this is a Japanese pun**. Unfortunately, this pun doesn't translate
well to other languages.

The original phrases in Japanese are:

![kaminomi s/zo shiru](https://i.stack.imgur.com/zDmqJ.png)

Image from [buzz-manga.blog.jp](http://buzz-manga.blog.jp/Saint-Oniisan.html)

> 神【かみ】のみぞ知る【しる】 ( _kami nomi zo shiru_ , only God knows)  
>  神【かみ】のみそ汁【しる】 ( _kami no miso shiru_ , God's miso soup)

Yes, both have the same reading: _kaminomi[s/zo]shiru_ (except _so_ and _zo_ ,
which only differs by [a voicing
mark](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakuten_and_handakuten)).

Also, the one that Jesus does in that scene is called [_dajare/oyaji
gag_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dajare), which usually employs the same
reading for different meaning.


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