vies on irony

Irony

Cheer up, the worst is yet to come!

Purpose of Using Irony

People often use irony either to 1. bring fun in the conversation

OR 2. explain something which is totally contrary.

Definition of Irony

• Irony is a rhetorical device or a literary technique, or even situation, which refers to a sharp disagreement or discordance that is expressed beyond the evident intention of words used.

Definition of Irony

The use of words that say the opposite of the truth.

Forms of Irony

• Irony can be verbal, where the person says something which is exactly opposite to what he/she really wanted to communicate.

E.g. soft as concrete

Forms of Irony

• Irony can also be dramatic, where one of the characters is unaware of what is happening around, whereas the spectators know exactly what's going on.

• This concept is often related to plays.

Forms of Irony

Romeo returns to Verona and he finds Juliet drugged, in a death-like sleep. He assumes she is dead and kills himself. When Juliet wakes up and finds him dead, she kills herself with his knife.

~ Romeo and Juliet

Forms of Irony

• Irony can be situational as well, if the actual result appears to be just opposite to what is really expected.

Importance of Irony

• Ironies have become an integral part of regular communication.

• Though both irony and sarcasm appear to be overlapping, both of them are totally different concepts.

The End Thank You!

Day 1 – 19/08/131. One of the identical twins says to the other, “You’re ugly!”This is an ironic statement which surprises one because the twin who called his/her other twin ‘ugly’ is in actual fact insulting him/herself since both of them are supposed to look the same.

2. I saw a fish drowning.This statement is ironic because as a matter of fact, fish live in water and cannot possibly drown. However, the speaker actually saw a fish drowning, or so he claims.

Day 2 – 20/08/131. Titanic, which was touted as ‘100% unsinkable’, sank on its maiden voyage.This is an example of a coincidental irony. With a construction that was reputed to be the best of the best, the Titanic was deemed ‘unsinkable’. However, it sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after colliding with an iceberg during her maiden voyage, causing the deaths of more than 1, 500 people.

2. Most tobacco company executives do not smoke.We would assume that people who work in tobacco companies are also smokers, otherwise, why would they join a company that sells cigarettes? Hence, this statement presents a stark irony by telling us that in actual fact, most of the employees in tobacco companies don’t smoke!

Day 3 – 21/08/131. A ninety-eight year old man won the lottery and died the next day.The irony here lies in the fact that the old man won the lottery but did not get to spend anything he had won (due to his death). What makes it even more ironic is that he was doing well and fine – until he actually won the lottery and then died.

2. Never argue with a fool. People might not know the difference.If a person thinks that he is a lot more intelligent than someone who is not very clever and engages in an argument just to prove that he is correct, he only ends up looking like a fool himself.

Day 4 – 22/08/131. A girl was going on about how she would not hurt animals when I noticed she was wearing a leather belt.An animal lover would never use products which were made by causing harm to animals. The girl who claimed she would not hurt animals was wearing something that came from an animal, thus the irony.

2. My classmate just posted a video about how boring and useless Facebook is on Facebook!This statement is ironic because when the speaker’s classmate shares with everybody she knows on Facebook that Facebook is useless, he or she is implying just the opposite.

Day 5 – 23/08/13

1. as useful as wet newspaper

E.g. Without any battery, this camera is as useful as wet newspaper.

2. as useful as a chocolate teapot / as much use as a chocolate teapot

E.g. He was as much use as a chocolate teapot during the group presentation.

Day 6 – 26/08/13

1. as cuddly as a cactus

E.g. The mischievous boy is as cuddly as a cactus.

2. as smooth as sandpaper

E.g. That man’s complexion is as smooth as sandpaper.

Day 7 – 27/08/13

1. as discreet as an earthquake

E.g. During our preparation for Grandma’s surprise birthday party yesterday, our youngest sister,

Jeanine was as discreet as an earthquake.

2. as subtle as a sledgehammer

E.g. The environmental message in the movie, Furry Vengeance is as subtle as a sledgehammer.

Day 8 – 28/08/13

1. as welcome as a fox in a hen house

E.g. The new manager felt as welcome as a fox in a hen house on his first day of work.

2. as popular as a 4 a.m. car alarm

E.g. The director’s decision for everyone to start work an hour earlier was as popular as a 4 a.m. car alarm.

Day 9 – 29/08/131. as truthful as a man with a second-hand car

E.g. Do not believe a word that Tim says. He is as truthful as a man with a second-hand car.

2. as scientific as a cosmetic advertisement

E.g. Where did you get this information from? It is as scientific as a cosmetic advertisement.

Day 10 – 30/08/131. as accurate as a blind archer

E.g. Jack is as accurate as a blind archer – he has been missing every shot since the start of the game!

2. as precise as a drunk surgeon

E.g. Lawson is as precise as a drunk surgeon when it comes to doing calculations, which is why he always does badly for his Mathematics tests.