The term scherzo means

• A. A fast dance
• B. Italian for jest or joke
• C. A slow lament
• D. A short fugue

Answer: (B)

The term scherzo signals a playful, humorous character in music. It comes from Italian, meaning jest or joke, which is exactly what the term conveys in musical use. A scherzo is typically a brisk, witty movement—often lively and full of playful rhythms and surprising accents—that musicians used to replace a slower minuet in classical-era symphonies and chamber works. It isn’t defined as a fast dance, nor as a slow lament or a fugue; it’s the mood and personality—the jest—that the name communicates. That connection to jest is why the Italian-for-jest meaning is the best fit.