The German text means 'Alois, we will never forget you!', subtly playing with the contradiction between a disease deteriorating the human memory, the purpose of the memorial and the added text. Sarcastic comment below a memorial plaque for Alois Alzheimer who first described Alzheimer's disease. While an occasional sarcastic comment may enliven a conversation, Lazarus suggests that too frequent use of sarcasm tends to 'overwhelm the emotional flavor of any conversation'.

Lazarus describes sarcasm as ' hostility disguised as humor'. Professionals in psychology and related fields have long looked upon sarcasm negatively, particularly noting that sarcasm tends to be a maladaptive coping mechanism for those with unresolved anger or frustrations. Sarcasm can be making uncertainty seem very certain, in fact, already done and that it was easy to determine.

The essence of sarcasm is the intention of giving pain by (ironical or other) bitter words. But irony, or the use of expressions conveying different things according as they are interpreted, is so often made the vehicle of sarcasm. Sarcasm does not necessarily involve irony. What is essential to sarcasm is that it is overt irony intentionally used by the speaker as a form of verbal aggression. Second, people may be unintentionally ironic, but sarcasm requires intention. John Haiman writes: 'There is an extremely close connection between sarcasm and irony, and literary theorists in particular often treat sarcasm as simply the crudest and least interesting form of irony.' Also, he adds:įirst, situations may be ironic, but only people can be sarcastic. sarcasm is an insincere form of politeness which is used to offend one's interlocutor.ġ7.'Never a truer word said in jest': A Pragmastylistic Analysis of Impoliteness as Banter in Henry IV, Part I, Derek Bousfield (University of Huddersfield, UK) That is, the utterance which appears, on the surface, to maintain or enhance the face of the recipient actually attacks and damages the face of the recipient. The use of strategies which, on the surface appear to be appropriate to the situation, but are meant to be taken as meaning the opposite in terms of face management. ĭistinguishing sarcasm from banter, and referring to the use of irony in sarcasm, Derek Bousfield writes that sarcasm is: Well then thanks for all the first aid over the years!' or it may be used in the form of a direct statement, 'You couldn't play one piece correctly if you had two assistants.' The distinctive quality of sarcasm is present in the spoken word and manifested chiefly by vocal inflection. It may be used in an indirect manner, and have the form of irony, as in 'What a fine musician you turned out to be!,' 'It's like you're a whole different person now.,' and 'Oh. In sarcasm, ridicule or mockery is used harshly, often crudely and contemptuously, for destructive purposes. In its entry on irony, describes sarcasm thus: However, the word sarcastic, meaning 'Characterized by or involving sarcasm given to the use of sarcasm bitterly cutting or caustic', doesn't appear until 1695. Tom piper, an ironicall Sarcasmus, spoken in derision of these rude wits, whych. It is first recorded in English in 1579, in an annotation to The Shepheardes Calender by Edmund Spenser: The word comes from the Greek σαρκασμός ( sarkasmós) which is taken from σαρκάζειν ( sarkázein) meaning 'to tear flesh, bite the lip in rage, sneer'.

Reality falls sarcasm