More than One Kind of Irony

More than One Kind of Irony More than One Kind of Irony More than One Kind of Irony By Maeve Maddox Irony and its adjective ironic have joined the class of carelessly used words–like literally and awesome–that drive many language lovers wild. As early as 1926 H.W. Fowler decried the use of irony and ironic to refer to happenings that are merely coincidental or odd. For example, if I run into you in Walmart and an hour later bump into you at OfficeMax, that’s not ironic; it’s a coincidence. If I’m driving to school with barely enough time to make it to class on time and get stuck at a train crossing, that’s annoying or frustrating, but it’s not ironic. Fowler describes three kinds of irony: Socratic irony, dramatic irony, and the irony of Fate. Socratic irony takes its name from the philosopher Socrates who would pretend to be ignorant, so as to encourage his students to argue their beliefs. The television detective Columbo is a master at this kind of irony. Just as Socrates used apparently innocent questions to show up his students’ shaky arguments, Columbo uses feigned humility and ignorance to lure his suspects into talking too much and revealing their guilt. Dramatic irony is the irony of classical Greek drama, written for an audience that knew the details of the drama being presented. This kind of irony produces goose bumps in the audience or reader. When Oedipus swears he’ll bring his father’s murderer to justice, the audience knows that Oedipus is his father’s murderer. When Oedipus innocently marries Jocasta, the audience knows that she’s his mother. Strong stuff, dramatic irony. Novelists set it up by letting the reader know what the characters do not. Irony of Fate occurs when misfortune is the result of Fate, Chance, or God. In Fowler’s words, â€Å"Nature persuades most of us that the course of events is within wide limits foreseeable, that things will follow their usual course† If you watched the video clips of the floods that ravaged England in early 2014, you may have seen the pictures of the fabulous, recently completed mansion, its four-acre grounds ringed by a protective moat; despite the owner’s efforts, the waters triumphed. This is an example of the irony of Fate or Chance, also called cosmic irony. Reedsy defines it from the point of view of writers: Irony is a storytelling tool used to create contrast between how things seem and how they really are beneath the surface. The term â€Å"ironic† comes from the Latin word ironia, which means â€Å"feigned ignorance.† Two other types of irony not mentioned by Fowler are â€Å"verbal irony† and â€Å"situational irony.† Verbal irony occurs when a person says one thing, but means another, for example, saying â€Å"Lucky me!† when you slip on the ice and break your arm. Situational irony is similar to cosmic irony. You go into a situation expecting one outcome, but experience the opposite result. The O. Henry story â€Å"The Gift of the Magi† is built on situational irony: the wife sells her hair to buy her husband a watch fob; the husband sells his watch to buy his wife a decorative comb. The irony is that neither spouse can use the thoughtful gift. Irony has more than one meaning, but â€Å"coincidental† and â€Å"odd† are not among them. Related article: What Is Irony? Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Addressing A Letter to Two PeoplePeace of Mind and A Piece of One's MindSupervise vs. Monitor

Learn How to Tell Time in Italian

Learn How to Tell Time in Italian The simplest way to inquire about the time in Italian is by using the verb essere: Che ore sono? Che ora à ¨? – What time is it? You can use the above sentences interchangeably when asking about the time, but when responding you will always use sono le unless you are talking about 1 p.m. in the 12 hour clock (à © luna) or mezzogiorno and mezzanotte: Sono le diciassette. – It is the 17th hour or 5 pm.È mezzogiorno. – Its noon. Be Polite But even better, if you want to be polite add an excuse me into the mix: Mi scusi, che ora à ¨? – Excuse me, what time is it?Mi scusi, che ore sono? – Excuse me, what time is it? The two questions have the same meaning and basic structure. The difference is that the first uses ora à ¨? (is it now?), while the second uses sono le? (is it?). Both uses are perfectly acceptable, but the first conveys a slightly greater sense of immediacy. Useful Vocabulary: Morning, Afternoon, Evening and Night To indicate a.m. add di mattina: Sono le 11 di mattina. – It’s 11 in the morning. To indicate afternoon add del pomeriggio (12 noon to 5 pm): Sono le 2 del pomeriggio. – It’s 2 in the afternoon. To indicate evening use di sera . This period of time changes with seasons but it usually sits between the afternoon and the late night, from 5 pm to 9 or 10 pm: Sono le sei di sera. – It’s 6 in the evening. To indicate night time use di notte (10 pm to early morning): Sono le 3 di notte. – It’s three in the morning. Must-Know Vocabulary Words Additionally, there are a number of important words and phrases to know in relation to telling time in Italian. Heres a brief list with their English equivalents: Una mezz’ora (A half hour):Mamma arriva tra mezzora. – Mom arrives in thirty minutes.Un quarto d’ora (A quarter of an hour):Ho bisogno di un quarto dora per farmi una doccia. – I need 15 minutes to take a shower.A volte (Sometimes):A volte mi prendo un caffà ¨. – Sometimes I buy myself a coffee.Due volte al giorno (Twice a day):Passeggio al cane due volte al giorno. – I walk the dog twice a day.Tutti i giorni (Every day):Io vado al gym tutti i giorni. – I go to the gym every day.Ogni tanto (From time to time):Ogni tanto visito la mia zia in Chicago. – From time to time I visit my aunt in Chicago.Mancano cinque minuti alle... (It’s five minutes to...)Mancano cinque minuti alle 3 pm. – Its five to 3 pm.A che ora chiude? (What time does it close?):A che ora chiude la piscina? – What time does the pool close?A che ora apre? (What time does it open?):A che ora apre il panificio? – What time does the baker y open?A che ora comincia? (What time does it start?):A che ora comincia il film? – What time does the movie start? Reminder Dont forget that the 24 hour clock usage is widespread in Italy and most parts of Europe. In short, 1 p.m. is expressed as 13:00, while 5:30 p.m. is 17:30. An appointment or invitation for 19:30 is meant for 7:30 p.m. But the 12 hour clock is well known and everyone will understand when you use it. Finally, the months, as well as the days of the week in Italian, will give you more vocabulary and broaden your skills in the language.