Originally Posted by
Cyborg Ninja
You Do not Even know What Means Sarcasm, Before Using This Word Learn Its Meaning, Say it Because I Have Read That Post And Did Not found Any Relation With "sarcasm", by The Way I do Not Believe That It Is A Good Idea To Say Bitch To A Woman. Would You Like That They Were Saying Bitch To Your Mother? With All The Respect But Think About It.
sarcasm:
The speaker intends to be understood as meaning something that contrasts with the literal or usual meaning of what he says. The different sorts of discrepancy between the meaning of what is said and what is in fact on the particular occasion meant with it give rise to different kinds of verbal irony:
In sarcasm, the two stand in opposition.
Example: Mother comes into the TV room and discovers her 11-year-old watching South Park instead of doing his homework, as he was set to a dozen minutes ago. Pointing to the screen she says, "Don't let me tempt you from your duties, kiddo, but when you're finished with your serious studies there, maybe we could take some time out for recreation and do a little math."
Example: Dad is finally out of patience with picking up after his son, who can't seem to be trained to put his dirty clothes in the hamper instead of letting them drop wherever he happens to be when he takes them off. "Would Milord please let me know when it pleases him to have his humble servant pick up after him?"
The term comes directly into English from the Greek sarkasmos, which in turn derives from the ugly verb sarkazsein, "to tear the flesh" (used of dogs). (You may have seen the root sark-, "flesh," in sarcophagos, a coffin ["flesh-eater" -- delightful idea!]). It's difficult to know whether this originated in the metaphorical idea that someone who uses sarcasm is "cutting up" the person or thing that's the target of his remark, or whether it refers to the more nearly literal idea of his being so angry that he's gnashing his teeth so passionately that he ends up biting his own lips! Either way, the idea that he is in a savage mood. But note that the term sarcasm in the technical rhetorical sense we've constructed (meaning the opposite of what you say) does not necessarily carry the implication that the speaker is being critical or feels hostility, as in the original Greek sense of the term, which carries over into our contemporary everday sense of the word. Bitter or hostile sarcasmis only a special case of "sarcasm" as we are defining the term here, which is broad enough to cover cases in which the speaker is paying a compliment or being gentle.
Example: "My, you've certainly made a mess of things!" could be said in congratulations to someone who's just graduated summa cum laude, or to a hostess who presents a spectacular dish prepared with obvious care and skill.
Examples: Chances are you actually read the first two above (the parental remonstrances) as not altogether nasty. They could be delivered this way, but there's quite a range of tones in which they might be couched. Many are the modes of nagging! Try delivering each remark as furiously hot ("savagely flaying," "flesh-tearing"); then as resigned grumbling; then as exasperated, out-of-patience; then as wheedling and whining; then as earnest pleading; finally as gently ribbing. The latter actually amounts to an ironic use of verbal irony: I pretend to be mean (by pretending to be respectful), but I'm really not. All this reminds us that detecting irony is only a first step (though essential) in registering what's going on. When reading, we've got to be attending to every available clue to voice.
