charade

 
Pronunciation: /ʃəˈrɑːd/

noun

  • an absurd pretence intended to create a pleasant or respectable appearance: talk of unity was nothing more than a charade
  • (charades) a game in which players guess a word or phrase from a written or acted clue given for each syllable and for the whole item.

Origin:

late 18th century: from French, from modern Provençal charrado 'conversation', from charra 'chatter', perhaps of imitative origin