Question How does 「うける」 come to mean 「面白い」, and what's the difference?

[Haruto Uzumaki]

Basically, two girls on different occasions online have replied to me with 「うける」 after saying something funny, and I asked them what they mean, they both said 「おもしろいってこと」・「面白いって感じだよ」, respectively. I can find through research that it does indeed substitute 面白い, but what I can't find is why? Furthermore, is this even the same or originating from 受ける? It seems to not be, and I also found that the proper way to write this meaning of the word would be ウケる, though that still doesn't tell me much about the origin without kanji. Until recently I've never seen anyone use this term even online in this way. Does anyone know how this came to be and how it's possible for it to mean what it means? Thanks!

 

[mdchachi]

I always assumed it was related to 受ける like to be well-received. Like in English we might say a joke went over well or was well-received. But I'm not sure.
Here's an article that's trying to answer your question. I didn't look too closely at it.

「ウケる」の意味とは？「ウケない」も解釈(ギャル語)、例文や使い方を紹介！ | Meaning-Book

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meaning-book.com

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

Here's another link that basically has the same origin as the link @mdchachi gave above.

うけるって何のことでしょうか？ ｜ イベントパートナー

www.event-partners.net

 

[Toritoribe]

As already explained, うける is 受ける.

う・ける【受ける／請ける／享ける／承ける】 の解説
11 俗に、おもしろく感じられる。笑える。「この漫画で、自分が特に—・た場面はこれだ」

受ける／請ける／享ける／承ける（うける）とは？ 意味・読み方・使い方をわかりやすく解説 - goo国語辞書

受ける／請ける／享ける／承ける（うける）とは。意味や使い方、類語をわかりやすく解説。［動カ下一］［文］う・く［カ下二］１ 自分の方に向かってくるものを、支え止めたり、取って収めたりする。受け止める。受け取る。「ミットでボールを—・ける」「雨水を桶 (おけ) に—・ける」２ 差し出されたものを自分の方に取り入れる。手に収め入れる。もらう。「杯を—・ける」「賞を—・ける」「援助を—・ける」３ （享ける）他から与えられる。身に授かる。また、系統・血筋などを引く。「この世に生を—・けてこ... -...

dictionary.goo.ne.jp

I think this expression is especially from comedians' slang 笑いを取る "to get laughs from the audience" such like 必ずうけるネタ.

 

[Haruto Uzumaki]

Thanks guys, that makes sense now that was quite easy to understand! I thought it would be more complicated than that